# Derivative of the inverse of a matrix So, here I'll show the generalized for of the matrix derivative using the Frechet derivative, and then using it (as a generalised derivative) to derive the formula for the partial derivative relative to a scalar. As I mentioned in the previous document I showed you, the Frechet derivative although general is actually descriptive. Although there is a chain rule, for example, the Frechet derivative derivations aren't as direct. We begin by defining $f(A) = A^{-1}$, where $A$ is a matrix. Well, we wish to express $f(A+\Delta A)$ in terms of $f(A)$ for some $\Delta A$ in a neighborhood of $0$. We begin by proving the following identity: \begin{equation} \|h\|_{sp}<1\Rightarrow (\mathbf{I}+h)^{-1} = \sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n h^n, \end{equation} where $\|\cdot\|_{sp}$ is the **spectral norm**, defined as the biggest singular value of $h$. *proof* First, I want to show that $H=\sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n h^n$ is a matrix, that is, that the series converges. Well, the first step is to remember the spectral norm is its own operation norm, and that $\|AB\|\leq\|A\|_{op}\|B\|$. Consequently: $\|h^n\|_{sp}\leq \|h\|_{sp}^n$. Therefore, we have that the series is dominated by $\sum_{n=0}^\infty \|h\|_{sp}^n=\frac{1}{1-\|h\|_{sp}}<\infty$. Since we have a series where the norms of the terms are dominated by those of an absolutely convergent series, this series converges absolutely, through Weierstrass' M-test. Next, I want to show this series corresponds to the inverse. This is trivial, since: \begin{equation} (\mathbf{I}+h) \sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n h^n = \sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n h^n+h\sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n h^n=\mathbf{I}+\sum_{n=1}^\infty (-1)^n h^n+\sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n h^{n+1}=\mathbf{I} \end{equation} Therefore: \begin{equation} \sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n h^n = (\mathbf{I}+h)^{-1},\ Q.E.D \end{equation} Well, having proven the identity, we now go to the Frechet derivative. Let us consider: \begin{equation} f(A+\Delta A) = (A+\Delta A)^{-1} = A^{-1}(\mathbf{I}+\Delta A A^{-1}) \end{equation} If we suppose $\|\Delta A A^{-1}\|_{sp}<1$ (achievable by considering $\|\Delta A\|_{sp}<\frac{1}{\|A^{-1}\|_{sp}}$) we have that: \begin{equation} f(A+\Delta A) = A^{-1}\sum_{n=0}^\infty (\Delta A A^{-1})^n \end{equation} We already see our candidate for a Frechet derivative in: \begin{equation} Df[A](\Delta A) = -A^{-1} \Delta A A^{-1} \end{equation} And we can show this is indeed the Frechet derivative since: \begin{equation} \frac{\|f(A+\Delta A)-f(A)-Df[A](\Delta A)\|_{sp}}{\|\Delta A\|_{sp}} = \left \| \frac{A^{-1}(\Delta A A^{-1})^2}{\|\Delta A\|_{sp}} \sum_{n=0}^\infty (\Delta A A^{-1})^n\right \|_{sp} \end{equation} Which is easy to show goes to $0$ as $\Delta A \rightarrow0$. Therefore, our candidate is the Frechet derivative. In order to find the partial derivative of a $A$ in regards to the variable $a$, we can easily derive it using the fact the Frechet derivative is an extension for Banach spaces of the concept of the derivative in Euclidean spaces. Specifically for multiple-variable calculus: $\frac{\partial f}{\partial a} = Df[A(a)]\left (\frac{\partial A}{\partial a} \right )=-A^{-1} \frac{\partial A}{\partial a} A^{-1}$