Lecture 6

System of Linear Equations

Introduction
System of two Linear Equations: The system of 2 linear equations in 2
unknowns of the form

a11 x1 + a12 x2 = b1

a21 x1 + a22 x2 = b2

is said to be non-homogeneous system of linear equations in two variables x1

and x2 if at least one of b1 and b2 is nonzero. In matrix form, this system can be
written as
    
a11 a12 x b
   1 =  1
a21 a22 x2 b2

or

AX = B
     
a11 a12 x b
Where A =  , X =  1  and B =  1 .
a21 a22 x2 b2
The matrix A is called the coefficient matrix of the system.
System of three Linear Equations: The system of 3 linear equations in 3

1
unknowns of the form

a11 x1 + a12 x2 + a13 x3 = b1

a21 x1 + a22 x2 + a23 x3 = b2

a31 x1 + a32 x2 + a33 x3 = b3

is said to be non-homogeneous system of linear equations in three variables

x1 , x2 and x3 . In matrix form, this system can be written as
    
a11 a12 a13 x b
   1  1
a21 a22 a23  x2  = b2 
    
    
a31 a32 a33 x3 b3

or

AX = B
     
a11 a12 a13 x1 b
     1
Where A = a21 a22 a23 , X = x2  and B = b2 .
     
     
a31 a32 a33 x3 b3
The matrix A is called the coefficient matrix of the system.

Consistent and Inconsistent System: If the non-homogeneous system

of linear equations has a solution, it is said to be consistent. If it has no solutions,
it is said to be inconsistent.
We state the following theorem without proofs which will be useful in testing
the existence of the solution of the given non-homogeneous system.
Theorem: The non-homogeneous system AX = B with n linear equations
and n unknowns has a unique solution X = A−1 B if the coefficient matrix A is
non-singular, i.e., |A| =
6 0.

2
Matrix Inversion Method
Since the non-homogeneous system of linear equations AX = B with n linear
equations and n unknowns has a unique solution X = A−1 B, so we can solve
the system by finding A−1 . We discuss this method in the following example.
Example 1: If possible, find the solution of the linear system by the matrix
inversion method.

3x1 − 2x2 + x3 = 1

5x1 + 6x2 + 2x3 = 2

x1 − 3x3 = 3

Solution: The given system can be written in matrix form as

    
3 −2 1 x 1
   1  
5 6 2  x2  = 2
    
    
1 0 −3 x3 3

     
3 −2 1 x 1
   1  
where the coefficient matrix is A = 5 6 2  , X = x2 , B = 2.
     
     
1 0 −3 x3 3

The solution of (2) is X = A−1 B

Next we find A−1 . Here

 
3 −2 1 
       
6 2  5 2  5 6
       
|A| = 5 6 2  = 3   − (−2)   +1
  
0 −3 1 −3 1 0
      
     
1 0 −3
 

3
 = 3(−18) + 2(−15 − 2) − 6

= −54 − 34 − 6 = −94 6= 0

This shows that A is non-singular matrix, i.e., A−1 exists.

We first find the cofactors of A as follows
   
6 2 5 2
   
1+1  1+2
C11 = (−1)   = −18, C12 = (−1)   = 17,
0 −3 1 −3
  
   
5 6 −2 1
   
1+3  2+1
C13 = (−1)   = −6, C21 = (−1)   = −6,
1 0 0 −3
  
   
3 1 3 −2
   
2+2   = −10, C23 = (−1)2+3 
C22 = (−1)   = −2,
1 −3 1 0
  
   
−2 1 3 1
   
3+1   = −10, C32 = (−1)3+2 
C31 = (−1)   = −1,
6 2 5 2
  
 
3 −2
 
3+3 
C33 = (−1)   = 28
5 6

Hence
   
C11 C21 C31 −18 −6 −10
   
t
adjA = [Cij ] = C12 C22 C32  =  17 −10 −1 
   
   
C13 C23 C33 −6 −2 28

Using (2), we have, i.e. X = A−1 B gives

      
x1 −18 −6 −10 1 −18 − 12 − 30
  1    1  
x2  =  17 −10 −1  2 =  17 − 20 − 3 
      
  −94     −94  
x3 −6 −2 28 3 −6 − 4 + 84

4
      
−60 30
−60
1    −94   47 
  −6   3 
=  −6  =  −94 =

−94 

    47 
74
74 −94
− 37
47

30 3 37
⇒ x1 = 47
, x2 = 47
, x3 = − 47 To verify this solution, we put these values in all
three equations of the given system, i.e.

    
30 37 90 − 6 − 37
3 47
3x1 − 2x2 + x3 = 3 −2 − = = =1
47 47 47 47 47
     
30 3 37 150 + 18 − 74 94
5x1 + 6x2 + 2x3 = 5 +6 +2 − = = =2
47 47 47 47 47
 
30 37 30 + 111 141
x1 − 3x3 = −3 − = = =3
47 47 47 47

30 3 37
This verifies that x1 = 47
, x2 = 47
, x3 = − 47 is the solution of the given system.
Cramer’s Rule: Consider the non-homogeneous system of linear equations
in three variables

a11 x1 + a12 x2 + a13 x3 = b1

a21 x1 + a22 x2 + a23 x3 = b2

a31 x1 + a32 x2 + a33 x3 = b3

in matrix form above system is

    
a a a x b
 11 12 13   1   1 
a21 a22 a23  x2  = b2 
    
    
a31 a32 a33 x3 b3

or

AX = B

5
      
a a a x b
 11 12 13   1  1
Where A = a21 a22 a23 , X = x2  and B = b2 .
     
     
a31 a32 a33 x3 b3

Solution of (3) is X = A−1 B

where
 
C11 C21 C31
adjA 1  
A−1 = = C12 C22 C32 
 
|A| |A|  
C13 C23 C33

Putting these values in (2), we have

      
x C11 C21 C31 b C11 b1 + C21 b2 + C31 b3
 1 1    1 1  
x2  = C12 C22 C32  b2  = C12 b1 + C22 b2 + C32 b3 
      
  |A|     |A|  
x3 C13 C23 C33 b3 C13 b1 + C23 b2 + C33 b3

 
b1 C11 +b2 C21 +b3 C31
 |A| 
 
 
 
 b1 C12 +b2 C22 +b3 C32 
= |A|

 
 
 
 
b1 C13 +b2 C23 +b3 C33
|A|

b1 C11 + b2 C21 + b3 C31 b1 C12 + b2 C22 + b3 C32 b1 C13 + b2 C23 + b3 C33

⇒ x1 = , x2 = , x3 =
|A| |A| |A|

6
      
b1 a12 a13  a11 b1 a13  a11 a12 b1 
     
     
b2 a22 a23  a21 b2 a23  a21 a22 b2 
     
     
     
b3 a32 a33  a31 b3 a33  a31 a32 b3 
⇒ x1 = , x2 = , x3 =
|A| |A| |A|

or
     
b1 a12 a13  a11 b1 a13  a11 a12 b1 
     
     
b2 a22 a23 a21 b2 a23 a21 a22 b2 
     
 
     
b3 a32 a33  a31 b3 a33  a31 a32 b3 
     
⇒ x1 =   , x2 =   , x3 =  
a11 a12 a13  a11 a12 a13  a11 a12 a13 
     
     
a21 a22 a23 a21 a22 a23 a21 a22 a23 
     
 
     
a31 a32 a33  a31 a32 a33  a31 a32 a33 
     

Example 2: Use Cramer’s rule to solve the system

7x1 + x2 = 4

3x1 − 6x2 = 8
 
7 1
Solution: The coefficient matrix is A =  , so
3 −6

 
7 1 
 
|A| = 
  = −42 − 3 = −45
3 −6


Using Cramer’s rule, we have

   
4 1 7 4
   
   
8 −6 3 8
   
−24 − 8 32 56 − 12 44
x1 = = = and x2 = = =−
|A| −45 45 |A| −45 45

7
Example 3: Use Cramer’s rule to solve the system

x+y+z =2

x + y − 2z = 3

3x − 5y + z = 7
 
1 1 1
 
Solution: The coefficient matrix is A = 1 1 −2

, so
 
3 −5 1

 
1 1 1
       
1 −2 1 −2 1 1
       
     
|A| = 1 1 −2 = 1  − 1  +1
  
−5 1 3 1 3 −5
      
    
3 −5 1 
 

|A| = (1 − 10) − (1 + 6) + (−5 − 3) = −9 − 7 − 8 = −24

Using Cramer’s rule, we have

 
2 1 1
 
 
3 1 −2
 
        
7 −5 1
 
1   1 −2 3 −2 3 1 
     
x= = 2  −1

+1
  
|A| −24 −5 1  7 1  7 −5


1 1
=− [2(1 − 10) − 1(3 + 14) + 1(−15 − 7)] = − [2(−9) − 1(17) + 1(−22)]
24 24

1 57 19
= − 24 [−18 − 17 − 22] = 24
= 8

8
  
1 2 1
 
 
1 3 −2
 
        
3 7 1
 
1  3 −2 1 −2 1 3
     
y= = 1  −2
 +1 
|A| −24 7 1  3 1 

3 7
 

1 1 1
=− [1(3 + 14) − 2(1 + 6) + 1(7 − 9)] = − (1) = −
24 24 24

 
1 1 2
 
 
1 1 3
 
        
3 −5 7
 
1   1 3 1 3 1 1 
     
x= = 1  −1
 +2 
|A| −24 −5 7 3 7

3 −5
 

1 1 1
=− [1(7 + 15) − 1(7 − 9) + 2(−5 − 3)] = − [22 + 2 − 16] = −
24 24 3

19 1
Thus, the required solution is x = 8
,y = − 24 , z = − 31 .

9
 Practice Exercise

Use cramer’s rule to find the solution, if possible, each of the following systems
of non-homogeneous equations.
Q. 1

2x + y + z = 1

3x + y − 5z = 8

4x − y + z = 5

Q. 2

5x1 − 2x2 + x3 = 3

3x1 + 2x2 + 7x3 = 5

x1 + x2 + 3x3 = 2

Q. 3

2x − y + z = 1

3x + y − 5z = 8

4x + y + z = 5

Q. 4 Use Cramer rule to solve the following equations

6x1 + 5x2 = 3

3x1 + 4x2 = 32

10
Q. 5 Solve the following system of equations using Matrix method.

3x1 + x2 − x3 = −4

x1 + x2 − 2x3 = −4

−x1 + 2x2 − x3 = 1

Q. 6 Using Cramer’s rule, solve the following system of equations

3x + y + z = 3

2x + 2y + 5z = −1

x − 3y − 4z = 2

Q. 7 Solve the system of linear equations

2x − y + z = 5

4x + 2y + 3z = 8

3x − 4y − z = 3

Q. 8 Solve the system of linear equations

2x − y − z = 2

x + y − 2z = −4

3x + 2y − z = 1

11