<s>[INST] What am I doing wrong in calculating this determinant? I have matrix:
$$
 A = \begin{bmatrix}
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
2 & 3 & 3 & 3 \\
0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\
0 & 0 & 1 & 2
\end{bmatrix}
$$
And I want to calculate $\det{A}$, so I have written:
$$
\begin{array}{|cccc|ccc}
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\
2 & 3 & 3 & 3 & 2 & 3 & 3 \\
0 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 0 & 1 & 2 \\
0 & 0 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 0 & 1
\end{array}
$$
From this I get that:
$$
\det{A} = (1 \cdot 3 \cdot 2 \cdot 2 + 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 0 + 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 0 \cdot 0 + 4 \cdot 2 \cdot 1 \cdot 1) -  (3 \cdot 3 \cdot 0 \cdot 2 + 2 \cdot 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 1 + 1 \cdot 3 \cdot 2 \cdot 0 + 4 \cdot 3 \cdot 1 \cdot 0) = (12 + 0 + 0 + 8) - (0 + 12 + 0 + 0) = 8
$$
But WolframAlpha is saying that it is equal 0. So my question is where am I wrong?
 [/INST] Sarrus's rule works only for $3\times 3$-determinants. So you have to find another way to compute $\det A$, for example you can apply elementary transformations not changing the determinant, that is e. g. adding the multiple of one row to another:
\begin{align*}
  \det \begin{bmatrix}
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
2 & 3 & 3 & 3 \\
0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\
0 & 0 & 1 & 2
\end{bmatrix} &= 
  \det \begin{bmatrix}
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
0 & -1 & -3 & -5 \\
0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\
0 & 0 & 1 & 2
\end{bmatrix}\\
&= 
  \det \begin{bmatrix}
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
0 & -1 & -3 & -5 \\
0 & 0 & -1 & -2 \\
0 & 0 & 1 & 2
\end{bmatrix}\\
&= \det \begin{bmatrix}
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
0 & -1 & -3 & -5 \\
0 & 0 & -1 & -2 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0
\end{bmatrix}
\end{align*}
To compute the determinant of a triagonal matrix, we just have to multiply the diagonal elements, so 
$$ \det A = \det \begin{bmatrix}
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
0 & -1 & -3 & -5 \\
0 & 0 & -1 & -2 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0
\end{bmatrix} = 1 \cdot (-1)^2 \cdot 0 = 0.
$$
</s>