A New Determinantal Formula for Three Matrices

Abstract

For any three $\,n\times n\,$ matrices $\,A,B,X\,$ over a commutative ring $\,S$, we prove that $\,{\rm det}\,(A+B-AXB)={\rm det}\,(A+B-BXA) \in S$. This apparently new formula may be regarded as a ``ternary generalization'' of Sylvester's classical determinantal formula $\,{\rm det}\,(I_n-AB)={\rm det}\,(I_n-BA)\,$ for any pair of $\,n\times n\,$ matrices $\,A,B\,$ over $\,S$.