$$\sum\limits_{x = 1}^{99} {{1 \over {x\left( {x + 1} \right)}}} $$ = _____________.

Consider the following $$2 \times 2$$ matrix $$A$$ where two elements are unknown and are marked by $$a$$ and $$b.$$ The eigenvalues of this matrix ar $$-1$$ and $$7.$$ What are the values of $$a$$ and $$b$$?
$$A = \left( {\matrix{ 1 & 4 \cr b & a \cr } } \right)$$

The product of the non-zero eigenvalues of
the matrix $$\left[ {\matrix{ 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 1 \cr 0 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 0 \cr 0 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 0 \cr 0 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 0 \cr 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 1 \cr } } \right]$$ is ____ .

Four matrices $${M_1},\,\,\,{M_2},\,\,\,{M_3}$$ and $${M_4}$$ of dimensions $$p\,\,x\,\,q,\,\,\,\,\,q\,\,x\,\,e,\,\,\,\,\,r\,\,x\,\,s$$ and $$\,\,\,\,s\,\,x\,\,t$$ respectively can be multiplied in sevaral ways with different number of total scalar multiplications. For example when multiplied as $$\left( {\left( {{M_1}\,\,X\,\,{M_2}} \right)\,\,X\,\,\left( {{M_3}\,\,X\,\,{M_4}} \right)} \right)$$, the total number of scalar multiplications is $$\,\,\,\,$$$$pqr + rst + prt$$. When multiplied as $$\left( {\left( {\left( {{M_1}\,\,X\,\,{M_2}} \right)\,\,X\,\,{M_3}} \right)X\,\,{M_4}} \right)$$, the total number of scalar multiplications is $$pqr + prs + pst$$. If $$p = 10,\,\,q = 100,\,\,r = 20,\,\,s = 5,\,\,$$ and $$t = 80$$, then the minimum number of scalar multiplications needed is