Elementary row and column operations can be used to find the inverse of a matrix. These operations include interchanging rows/columns, multiplying rows/columns by a non-zero number, and adding rows/columns. To find the inverse, the identity matrix is written next to the original matrix. Operations are performed to reduce the original matrix to the identity matrix, leaving the inverse in the identity matrix columns. Examples show using row operations to reduce a 3x3 matrix to its inverse.