An engineer analyzes a state-transition matrix describing a Markov chain model of customer behavior. Which outcome necessarily occurs if the matrix's determinant is zero?

💡 Explanation

If a matrix has a determinant of zero, the matrix represents a singular transformation, because it collapses space and therefore is not invertible. The determinant being zero means columns are linearly dependent, rather than independent. Therefore, the matrix is non-invertible, rather than having a unique inverse.

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