1 Matrices and Gaussian Elimination

1.1 Solving linear systems using elimination method

Recall: Common method to solve a linear system using Gaussian/Gauss-Jordan elimination:

1) Construct a matrix (called the augmented matrix) corresponding to the system.

2) Use elementary row operations to rewrite the augmented matrix in row-echelon form (for Gaussian
elimination) or in reduced row-echelon form (for Gauss-Jordan elimination).
3) Write the system of linear equations corresponding to the obtained matrix and use back-substitution
to solve it.
Exercises:
1. Which of the following are linear equations in x1 , x2 and x3 ?
√ √
(a) x1 + 5x2 − x3 = 1 (c) πx1 − 2x2 + 13 x3 = 71/3
√ √
− 32
(b) x1−2 + x2 + 8x3 = 5 (d) x1 − 3x2 + 4√ x3 = 2
5

2. The following matrices are the augmented matrices of systems of linear equations in variables
x1 , x2 , . . .. Write down the corresponding systems explicitly and solve them.

(a) (c)  

1 0 0 5
 1 6 0 0 4 −2
0 0 1 0 3 1 
0 1 0 −2  
0 0 0 1 5 2 
0 0 1 4
0 0 0 0 0 0
(b) (d)
   
1 0 0 4 −1 1 2 0 3 0 7
0 1 0 2 6  0 0 1 0 0 1
0 0 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 1 2

3. Solve the following linear systems using Gaussian or Gauss-Jordan elimination. Write clearly all
elementary row operations you used.

(a) (d)
x + y + 2z = 0 x − 2y + z − 4t = 1
2x + 4y − 3z = 1 x + 3y + 7z + 2t = 2
3x + 6y − 5z = 0. x − 12y − 11z − 16t = 5.

(b) (e)
2u − v =0
2x + 2y + 2z = 0
−u + 2v − w =0
−2x + 5y + 2z = 1
− v + 2w − z = 0
8x + y + 4z = −1.
− w + 2z= 5.
(c)
(f)
x + 2y − t + w = 1
2x1 + 4x2 − 7x3 = 0
3y + z − w = 2
x1 − 3x2 + 9x3 = 0
z + 7t = 1.
6x1 + 9x3 = 0.

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 4. For which values of a will the following system have no solutions? Exactly one solution? In-
finitely many solutions?
x + 2y − 3z = 4
3x − y + 5z = 2
4x + y + ( a2 − 14)z = a + 2.

5. Find all values of λ for which the following homogeneous system of linear equations has non-
trivial solutions.
(λ + 2) x1 − 2x2 + 3x3 = 0
−2x1 + (λ − 1) x2 + 6x3 = 0
x1 + 2x2 + λx3 = 0.

1.2 Operations on matrices

Recall:
1) Some special matrices: Identity matrices, zero matrices, symmetric matrices,...
2) Operations: addition, multiplication with a scalar, transpose of a matrix, multiplication.
3) General properties: Associative property, commutative property, distributive property...
Exercises:
1. Suppose that A, B, C, D, E are matrices with the following sizes: A : 4 × 5; B : (4 × 5); C : 5 × 2;
D : 4 × 2; E : 5 × 5. Determine (if exists) the size of each of the following matrices:

(a) BA; (d) AB + B; (g) E T A;

(b) AC + D; (e) 2E( A + B);
(c) AE + B; (f) E( AC ); (h) ( A T + E) D.

2. Let
     
3 0     1 5 2 6 1 3
4 −1 1 4 2
A =  −1 2 ,B =
 ,C = , D =  −1 0 1 , E =  −1 1 2 .
0 2 3 1 5
1 1 3 2 4 4 1 3
Compute the following (where possible)

(a) 2B − C; (e) AC and CA;

(b) 3D − 2E T ; (f) (C T B) A T and Tr ((C T B) A T );
(c) 3D T − 2E) and Tr (3D − 2E T ); (g) Tr ( DD T ).
(d) AB and BA; (h) D T E T − ( ED ) T .

3. Write down the 2 by 2 matrices A and B that have entries aij = i + j and bij = (−1)i+ j . Multiply
them to find AB and BA. Is the product of A and B commutative?
4. True or false? Give a specific counterexample when false.
(a) If columns 1 and 3 of B are the same, so are columns 1 and 3 of AB.
(b) If rows 1 and 3 of B are the same, so are rows 1 and 3 of AB.
(c) If rows 1 and 3 of A are the same, so are rows 1 and 3 of AB.
(d) ( AB)2 = A2 B2 .
5. Which of the following matrices are guaranteed to equal ( A + B)2 ?

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 (a) A2 + 2AB + B2 (c) ( A + B)( B + A)
(b) A( A + B) + B( A + B) (d) A2 + AB + BA + B2

6. By trial and error find examples of 2 by 2 matrices such that

(a) A2 = − I, A having only real entries.
(b) B2 = 0, although B 6= 0;
(c) CD = − DC, not allowing the case CD = 0.
(d) EF = 0, although no entries of E or F are zero.
7. Suppose A commutes with every 2 by 2 matrix, and in particular
     
a b 1 0 0 1
A= commutes with B1 = , B2 = .
c d 0 0 0 0

Show that a = d and b = c = 0. Consequently, prove that if AB = BA for all 2 × 2-matrices B,

then A is a multiple of the identity.
8. In each part find matrices A, X, B which express the given system of linear equations as a single
matrix equation AX = B. Solve these equations.
(a)

x1 − 3x2 + 5x3 = 7
9x1 − x2 + x3 = −1
x1 + 5x2 + 4x3 = 0

(b)

x1 − 3x3 + x4 =7
5x1 + x2 − 8x4 =3
2x1 − 5x2 + 9x3 − x4 =0
3x2 − x3 + 7x4 = 2

9. Find the powers A2 , A3 , B2 , B3 , C2 , C3 . What are Ak , Bk and C k for a given k?

1 1
1
− 12
   
2 2 1 0
A= 1 1 ,B = , and C = AB = 21 .
2 2
0 −1 2 − 12

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1.3 Inverses of matrices
Recall:
1) Equivalent definitions: A is invertible if one the following equivalent conditions holds.

i) There exists B such that AB = BA = I;

ii) The equation Ax = 0 has unique solution 0.
2) Find the inverse of a matrix

• Using elementary row transformations to bring [ A| I ] into [ I | A−1 ]. (Gauss-Jordan.)

Exercises:
1. Show that if A and B are invertible matrices then
(a) A T is invertible and ( A T )−1 = ( A−1 ) T
(b) AB are invertible and ( AB)−1 = B−1 A−1 .
2. Use the Gauss-Jordan method to find the inverses of the following matrices, then solve the equa-
tions Ax = b for b = (−1, 2, 7).

(a) (c) (e)

     √ √ 
1 0 0 1 1 1 √2 3√ 2 0
A1 = 1 1 1 , A3 = 1 2 2 , A5 =  −4 2 2 0 ,
0 0 1 1 2 3 0 0 1

(b) (d) (f)

    1 1 −2 
2 −1 0 0 0 1 5 5 5
A2 =  −1 2 −1 , A4 = 0 1 1 , A6 = 1 1 1 
5 5 10
0 −1 2 1 1 1 1 −4 1
5 5 10

3. True or false (with a counterexample if false and a reason if true):

(a) A 4 by 4 matrix with a row of zeros is not invertible.

(b) If A is invertible then A−1 is invertible
(c) If A T is invertible, then A is invertible.
4. If a matrix A has row 1 + row 2 = row 3, show that A is not invertible:

(a) Explain why Ax = (1, 0, 0) cannot have a solution.

(b) Which right-hand sides (b1 , b2 , b3 ) might allow a solution to Ax = b?
(c) What happens to row 3 in elimination?
5. Find the inverse (in any legal way) of

(a) (b) (c)

     
0 0 0 1 a b 0 0 k 0 0 0
0 0 2 0 c d 0 0 1 k 0 0
A1 =  , A2 =   A3 =  
0 3 0 0 0 0 a b 0 1 k 0
4 0 0 0 0 0 c d 0 0 1 k

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 6. For which three numbers c is this matrix not invertible, and why not?
 
2 c c
A =  c c c
8 7 c

7. Give examples of matrices A and B such that

(a) A + B is not invertible although A and B are invertible.
(b) A + B is invertible although A and B are not invertible.
(c) all of A, B, and A + B are invertible.
(d) In the last case use A−1 ( A + B) B−1 = B−1 + A−1 to show that C = B−1 + A−1 is also
invertible and find a formula for C.
8. Show that A2 = 0 is possible but A T A = 0 is not possible (unless A = zero matrix).

9. If the inverse of A2 is B, show that the inverse of A is AB. Thus, A is invertible whenever A2
invertible.
10. If A = A T and B = B T , which of the following matrices are certainly symmetric?
(a) A2 − B2 ;
(b) ( A + B)( A − B);
(c) ABA;
(d) ABAB.