A matrix is a rectangular array of entries arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns; its size gives the number of rows first and the number of columns second. Identifying these directions and counts, including in non-square matrices, clarifies how entries are positioned and how matrix dimensions are described.
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Rows run horizontally from left to right, and columns run vertically from top to bottom. To describe a matrix’s size, count the rows first and the columns second; write the size as .
For example, consider
So this matrix has rows and columns.
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