TITLE: Find the determinant of $I + A$
QUESTION [11 upvotes]: What is the determinant of an $n \times n$ matrix $B=A+I$, where $I$ is the $n\times n$ identity matrix and $A$ is the $n\times n$ matrix 
$$
A=\begin{pmatrix}
a_1 & a_2 & \dots & a_n \\
a_1 & a_2 & \dots & a_n \\
\vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\
a_1 & a_2 & \dots & a_n \\
\end{pmatrix}
$$

REPLY [13 votes]: Using the Weinstein-Aronszajn determinant identity,
$$\det \left({\bf I}_n + {\bf 1}_n {\bf a}^{\top} \right) = \det \left( 1 + {\bf a}^{\top} {\bf 1}_n \right) = 1 + {\bf a}^{\top} {\bf 1}_n = 1 + \sum_{i=1}^n a_i$$

REPLY [10 votes]: First look at what happens when $n=2$, $n=3$, renaming our matrix $B_n(a_1,\cdots,a_n)$ one gets
$$\begin{align}\det{B_2(a_1,a_2)}&=1+a_1+a_2\\\det{B_3(a_1,a_2,a_3)}&=1+a_1+a_2+a_3\end{align}$$
Assume that $\det{B_{n-1}(a_1,\cdots,a_{n-1})}=1+a_1+\cdots a_{n-1}$ and consider
$$\begin{vmatrix}1+a_1    &  a_2   & \cdots & a_n\\
                   a_1    & 1+a_2  & \cdots & a_n\\
                   \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots\\
                   a_1    &   a_2  & \cdots & 1+a_n
\end{vmatrix}$$
Substract the second row from the first to get
$$\begin{vmatrix}  1      &  -1    & 0 & \cdots & 0\\
                   a_1    & 1+a_2  & a_3 &\cdots & a_n\\
                   a_1 & a_2 & 1+a_3 & \cdots & a_n\\
                   \vdots & \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots\\
                   a_1    &   a_2  & a_3 &\cdots & 1+a_n
\end{vmatrix}$$
Then add the first column to the second and get
$$\begin{vmatrix}  1      &  0    & 0 & \cdots & 0\\
                   a_1    & 1+a_1+a_2  & a_3 &\cdots & a_n\\
                   a_1 & a_1+a_2 & 1+a_3 & \cdots & a_n\\
                   \vdots & \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots\\
                   a_1    &   a_1+a_2  & a_3 &\cdots & 1+a_n
\end{vmatrix}$$
Developing along the first row one gets
$$\det{B_n(a_1,\cdots,a_n)}=\det{B_{n-1}(a_1+a_2,\cdots ,a_n)}$$
And this by the induction assumption is $$1+a_1+a_2+\cdots+a_n$$