The Matrix Multiplication Puzzle
Solution


It's best not to think too hard about this problem, because you may bring in the heavy machinery of Linear Algebra.

One possibility is to define A = diag ( b / x ), that is, the diagonal matrix such that A(i,i) = b(i) / x(i). This works ... except when it doesn't. It will fail if any entry of x is zero.

For a more general solution, which works as long as at least one entry of x is nonzero, note that x' is row vector which, when post-multiplied by x, returns a number, namely x' * x = ||x||^2, the square of the norm of x. Now think about the rank one matrix formed by b * x'. When this is post-multiplied by x, we get (b * x') * x = b * (x * x') = b * ||x||^2. So the matrix A=b*x'/(x'*x) has the desired property that A*x=b.

Back to The Matrix Multiplication Puzzle.


Last revised on 09 May 2026.