Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Four cities have these one-way direct flights: , , , , , and . Write the matrix with a where there is a flight from the row city to the column city. Use to find the number of routes from to with exactly three flights, and the number of three-flight routes that start at .
is row of multiplied by column of , and exists when the columns of equal the rows of . Matrix multiplication is associative and distributive but not commutative. The entry of counts routes with steps.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The matrix. Rows and columns are in the order : $N =
$.
Step 2. The cube. $N³ =
$.
Step 3. Read the entries. The entry for to is row , column , which is . The first row adds up to .
Answer: routes from to , and routes start at .
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