Matrices

Echelon Form of a Matrix

Echelon Form

A matrix is in echelon form (ref) when it satisfies the following conditions.

 The first non-zero element in each row, called the leading entry, is 1.
 Each leading entry is in a column to the right of the leading entry in the previous row.
 Rows with all zero elements, if any, are below rows having a non-zero element.

Each of the matrices shown below are examples of matrices in row echelon form.

1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 1 2
0 0 1 3
0 0 1 3     0 1
0 0 0 1
0 0 0 1 0 0
0 0 0 0
Aref   Bref   Cref

Note: Some references present a slightly different description of the row echelon form. They do not
require that the first non-zero entry in each row is equal to 1.

Test Your Understanding of This Lesson

Problem 1

Which of the following matrices is in row echelon form?

0 1 1 2 1 2 1 0

1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1

A B C D

(A) Matrix A
(B) Matrix B
(C) Matrix C
 (D) Matrix D
(E) None of the above

Solution

The correct answer is (B), since it satisfies all of the requirements for a row echelon matrix. The other
matrices fall short.

 The leading entry in Row 1 of matrix A is to the right of the leading entry in Row 2, which is
inconsistent with definition of a row echelon matrix.
 In matrix C, the leading entries in Rows 2 and 3 are in the same column, which is not allowed.
 In matrix D, the row with all zeros (Row 2) comes before a row with a non-zero entry. This is a
no-no.

How to Transform a Matrix Into Its Echelon Forms

Any matrix can be transformed into its echelon forms, using a series of elementary row operations.
Here's how.

1. Pivot the matrix

a. Find the pivot, the first non-zero entry in the first column of the matrix.
b. Interchange rows, moving the pivot row to the first row.
c. Multiply each element in the pivot row by the inverse of the pivot, so the pivot equals
1.
d. Add multiples of the pivot row to each of the lower rows, so every element in the pivot
column of the lower rows equals 0.

. To get the matrix in row echelon form, repeat the pivot

a. Repeat the procedure from Step 1 above, ignoring previous pivot rows.
b. Continue until there are no more pivots to be processed.

. To get the matrix in reduced row echelon form, process non-zero entries above each pivot.

a. Identify the last row having a pivot equal to 1, and let this be the pivot row.
b. Add multiples of the pivot row to each of the upper rows, until every element above
the pivot equals 0.
 c. Moving up the matrix, repeat this process for each row.

Transforming a Matrix Into Its Echelon Forms: An Example

To illustrate the transformation process, let's transform Matrix A to a row echelon form and to a
reduced row echelon form.

0 1 2

1 2 1    ⇒   

2 7 8

A A1 A2 Aref
1 2 1

0 1 2    ⇒   

2 7 8

A1

1 2 1

0 1 2    ⇒   

0 3 6

A2

1 2 1

0 1 2

0 0 0

A3

To transform matrix A into its echelon forms, we implemented the following series of elementary row
operations.

1. We found the first non-zero entry in the first column of the matrix in row 2; so we
interchanged Rows 1 and 2, resulting in matrix A1.
 2. Working with matrix A1, we multiplied each element of Row 1 by -2 and added the result to
Row 3. This produced A2.
3. Working with matrix A2, we multiplied each element of Row 2 by -3 and added the result to
Row 3. This produced A3. Notice that A3 is in row echelon form, because it meets the
following requirements: (a) the first non-zero entry of each row is 1, (b) the first non-zero
entry is to the right of the first non-zero entry in the previous row, and (c) rows made up
entirely of zeros are at the bottom of the matrix.

Note: The row echelon matrix that results from a series of elementary row operations is not
necessarily unique. A different set of row operations could result in a different row echelon matrix.
However, the reduced row echelon matrix is unique; each matrix has only one reduced row echelon
matrix.

Ex1
Reduce the matrix to row echelon form and find the rank
2 3 4 5
3 4 5 6 
 
4 5 6 7 
 
 
 
Sol:
By R3  R2 ; R2  R1
 2 3 4 5
1 1 1 1 
 
1 1 1 1 
 
 
 
0 1 2 3
1 1 1 1 
R1  2 R2   R3  R2;
0 0 0 0 
 
 
 1 1 1 1 
0 1 2 3
By R12  
0 0 0 0
 
 
Two non-zero rows=2.
Rank : =2

Ex2
Reduce the following matrix to echelon form. Find rank
1 1 3 6 
A  1 3 3 4 
 
5 3 3 11 

Sol
 1 1 3 6 
by R2  R1 0 4 6 10  R3  5 R1
 
0 8 12 19 
1 1 3 6 
R3  2 R2 0 4 6 10 
 
0 0 0 1 
1 1 3 6 
1  
  R2 0 1 3 / 2 5 / 2 
4
0 0 0 1 
Rank =3

Ex 3
Reduce the matrix to row echelon form and find the rank
2 3 4 5
3 4 5 6 
 
4 5 6 7 
 
9 10 11 12 
 
Sol:
By R4  R3 ; R3  R2 ; R2  R1 ;
2 3 4 5
1 1 1 1
 
1 1 1 1
 
5 5 5 5
 
0 1 2 3
1 1 1 1
R1  2 R2   R3  R2; R4  5 R2
0 0 0 0
 
0 0 0 0

1 1 1 1
0 1 2 3
By R12  
0 0 0 0
 
0 0 0 0
Two non-zero rows=2.
Rank : =2
Ex1
Test for consistency and solve
x  y 1
2x  3 y  1
5 x  y  11
Sol
We have AX=B,
1 1  1
2 3  x  
   y   1 
   
 5 1 11
1 1  1
 x  
R2  2 R1 , R3  5 R1 , 0 1   y    1
     
0 6  6

1 1  1
 x 
R3  6 R2 0 1      1
   y  
0 0   0 

1 1  1 1 1 
Now A  0 1  and
   A, B   0 1 1
0 0  0 0 0 

 rank of A  rank of  A, B   2
 The equations are consistent .
rank of A  Number of unknowns  2.  system has unique solution
 The equations are :
x  y 1
0  y  1  y  1
 x2
Ex2
Test for consistency and solve
x yz 3
x  2 y  3z  4
x  4 y  9z  6
Sol
We have AX = B,
1 1 1   x   3 
1 2 3  y    4 
    
1 4 9   z   6 
1 1 1   x  3
R 2  R1, R3  R1 0 1 2   y   1
    
0 3 8   z  3
1 1 1   x   3 
R3  3 R 2  0 1 2   y    1 
    
0 0 2   z  0 
1 1 1  1 1 1 3 
Now A  0 1 2  and  A, B   0 1 2 1 
   
0 0 2  0 0 2 0 
 rank of A  rank of  A, B   3
 The equations are consistent .
rank of A  Number of unknowns  3.  system has unique solution
 The equations are :
x yz 3
y  2z  1
2z  0  z  0
y  0  1  y  1, x  2

Ex3
Test for consistency and solve
x yz 3
x  2 y  3z  4
x  4 y  7z  6
Sol
We have AX = B,
1 1 1   x   3 
1 2 3   y    4 
    
1 4 7   z   6 
1 1 1   x  3
R 2  R1, R3  R1 0 1 2   y   1
    
0 3 6   z  3
1 1 1   x   3 
R3  3 R 2  0 1 2   y    1 
    
0 0 0   z  0 
1 1 1  1 1 1 3 
Now A  0 1 2  and  A, B   0 1 2 1 
   
0 0 0  0 0 0 0 
 rank of A  rank of  A, B   2
 The equations are consistent .

rank of A  2; Number of unknowns  3.  n  r

system has Infinite solutions

 n  r    3  2   1;  z  t
 The equations are :
x yz 3
y  2z  1
y  1  2t
x  1  2t  t  3;  x  2  t
 x  2  t; y  1  t , z  t
Homogeneous Linear equations

Solving a system of m equations in n unknowns

1) Write AX  O
2) Apply elementary row transformations only and reduce A to echelon form.
3) If r  n , only trivial slotion is posssible.  x  0, y  0, z  0 
4) If r  n , non  trivial solution is posssible.
Ex1
Solve
x  2 y  3z  0
2x  3 y  z  0
4x  5 y  4z  0
x  y  2z  0
Sol
 
1 0 
2 3  x  
   0
2 3 1  y   ,
    0 
4 5 4  z  
1 0 
1 2 
 
1 2 3  0
   x  
0
R2  2 R1, R3  4 R1 0 1 5 R4  R1  y     ,
    0
 0 3 8   z   
0 1 5 0

 
1 2 3   x   0 
    0 
R3  3R2 , R4  R2 0 1 5  y    ,
    0 
0 0 7   z  0 
0 0 0   
Rank of A  number of unknowns  3.
Hence the system has a trivial solution.

x  2 y  3z  0
 y  5z  0
7z  0
z  0, y  0, x  0
The system has a trivial solution.
Ex2
Solve
x  2 y  3z  0
2x  5 y  6z  0
Sol

 x  0
 1 2 3    
 2 5 6   y   0 ,
    
z  
 x  0 
1 2 3    
R 2  2 R1   y  0 ,
0 9 0     
z  
Rank of A  2
number of unknowns  3.
Rank of A  number of unknowns
Hence the system has a non  trivial solution.

x  2 y  3z  0
9y  0
y0
Putting z  t , we get x  3t  0
x  3t
The solution is x  3t , y  0, z  t