MAT 125

Introduction to Linear Algebra

System of Linear Equations

Mohammad Mahmud Hasan

Department of Mathematics and Physics

February 8, 2022
Outline:

• Linear Equation
• Nonlinear Equation
• System of Linear Equation
• Solution of Linear Equation
• Solution of System of Linear Equation
Linear Equations
An equation in the n variables 𝑥!, 𝑥", … . , 𝑥# of the form
𝑎!𝑥! + 𝑎"𝑥" + ⋯ . . +𝑎# 𝑥# = 𝑏 (1)
is called a linear equation if the degree of all 𝑥$% 𝑠 are 1. where 𝑎!, 𝑎", … . , 𝑎# , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏 are
constants and 𝑎$% 𝑠 are not all zeros.
In special case where 𝑏 = 0, equation (1) has the form
𝑎!𝑥! + 𝑎"𝑥" + ⋯ . . +𝑎# 𝑥# = 0 (2)
which is called a Homogeneous linear equation in variables 𝑥!, 𝑥", … . , 𝑥# .

Example:
2𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 2 (equation of a straight line)
3𝑥 − 5𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 10 (equation of a plane)
𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 𝑧 − 4𝑤 = 5 (equation of a hyperplane)
Nonlinear Equations
Equations that are not linear:
Equations that involve variables with degree other then 1, product of variables, root of
variables, trigonometric function, exponential functions or logarithmic functions are not
linear equations.

Examples:

𝑥 − 𝑦 + 𝑧& = 2
𝑥𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 1
𝑥+𝑦−3 𝑧 =5
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥 + 𝑦 = 0
𝑥 + 𝑒' + 𝑧 = 1
𝑥 − 2𝑦 + ln 𝑧 = 6
System of Linear Equations
A finite set of linear equations is called a system of linear equations or, more briefly,
a linear system. The variables are called unknowns.
For example:
5𝑥 + 𝑦 = 3
System of equations in two unknowns x and y <
2𝑥 − 𝑦 = 4
4𝑥 − 𝑦 + 3𝑧 = −1
System of equations in three unknowns x, y, and z =3𝑥 + 𝑦 + 9𝑧 = −4
2𝑥 − 5𝑦 − 5𝑧 = 3
A general linear system of m equations in n unknowns 𝑥!, 𝑥", … . , 𝑥# can be written as
𝑎!!𝑥! + 𝑎!"𝑥" + ⋯ . . +𝑎!# 𝑥# = 𝑏!
𝑎"!𝑥! + 𝑎""𝑥" + ⋯ . . +𝑎"# 𝑥# = 𝑏"
… ……………………………………
… ……………………………………
𝑎(!𝑥! + 𝑎("𝑥" + ⋯ . . +𝑎(# 𝑥# = 𝑏(
Solution of System of Linear Equations
A solution of linear system in 𝑛 unknowns 𝑥! , 𝑥" , … . , 𝑥# is a sequence of 𝑛 numbers 𝑠! , 𝑠" , … . , 𝑠# for which
the substitution 𝑥! = 𝑠! , 𝑥" = 𝑠" , … . , 𝑥# = 𝑠# makes each equation true a statement.
Example:
5𝑥 + 𝑦 = 3
2𝑥 − 𝑦 = 4
This system has a solution 𝑥 = 1, 𝑦 = −2. This solution can be written as (1, −2).

4𝑥 − 𝑦 + 3𝑧 = −1
3𝑥 + 𝑦 + 9𝑧 = −4
2𝑥 − 5𝑦 − 5𝑧 = −3
This system has a solution 𝑥 = 1, 𝑦 = 2, and 𝑧 = −1. This solution can be written as (1,2, −1)
More generally, a solution
𝑥! = 𝑠! , 𝑥" = 𝑠" , … . , 𝑥# = 𝑠#
of a linear system in n unknowns can be written as
(𝑠! , 𝑠" , … . , 𝑠# )
which is called an ordered n-tuple.
 Solution of System of Linear Equations
Linear systems in two unknowns arise in connection with intersections of lines. For
example, consider the linear system
𝑎! 𝑥 + 𝑏! 𝑦 = 𝑐!
𝑎" 𝑥 + 𝑏" 𝑦 = 𝑐"
In which the graphs of the equations are lines in the xy-plane. Each solution (𝑥, 𝑦) of this system corresponds
to a point of intersection of the lines, so there are three possibilities:
v The lines may be parallel and distinct, in which case there is no intersection and consequently no solution.
v The lines may intersect at only one point, in which case the system has exactly one solution.
v The lines may coincide, in which case there are infinitely many points of intersection (the points on the
common line) and consequently infinitely many solutions.
 Solution of System of Linear Equations
The same is true for a linear system of three equations in three unknowns

𝑎! 𝑥 + 𝑏! 𝑦 + 𝑐! 𝑧 = 𝑑!
𝑎" 𝑥 + 𝑏" 𝑦 + 𝑐" 𝑧 = 𝑑"
𝑎$ 𝑥 + 𝑏$ 𝑦 + 𝑐$ 𝑧 = 𝑑$
in which the graphs of the equations are planes. The solutions of the system, if any, correspond to points where
all three planes intersect, so again we see that there are only three possibilities—no solutions, one solution, or
infinitely many solutions.
 Solution of System of Linear Equations
Every system of linear equations has zero (No solution), Exactly one solution, or infinitely many solutions. There are
no other possibilities.

A Linear System with one Solutions:

Example: Solve the system of equation
𝑥 − 𝑦 = 1
2𝑥 + 𝑦 = 6
Solution: We can eliminate x from the second equation by adding −2 times the first equation to the second. This
yields the simplified system
𝑥 − 𝑦 = 1
3𝑦 = 4
!
From the second equation we obtain 𝑦 = " , and on substituting this value in the first equation we obtain
#
𝑥 = 1 + 𝑦 = ". Thus, the system has the unique solution
7 4
𝑥 = ,𝑦 =
3 3
Geometrically, this means that the lines represented by the equations
# !
in the system intersect at the single point (" , ").
We leave it for you to check this by graphing the lines.
 Solution of System of Linear Equations
A Linear System with No Solutions:
Example: Solve the linear system
𝑥 + 𝑦 = 4
3𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 6
Solution:
We can eliminate x from the second equation by adding −3 times the first equation to the second equation.
This yields the simplified system
𝑥 + 𝑦 = 4
0 = −6
The second equation is contradictory, so the given system has
no solution. Geometrically, this means that the lines corresponding
to the equations in the original system are parallel and distinct.
We leave it for you to check this by graphing the lines or by showing
that they have the same slope but different y-intercepts.
 Solution of System of Linear Equations
A Linear System with infinitely many Solutions:
Example: Solve the linear system
4𝑥 − 2𝑦 = 1
16𝑥 − 8𝑦 = 4
Solution: We can eliminate x from the second equation by adding −4 times the first
equation to the second. This yields the simplified system
4𝑥 − 2𝑦 = 1
0 = 0
The second equation does not impose any restrictions on x and y and hence
can be omitted. Thus, the solutions of the system are those values of x and y
that satisfy the single equation
4𝑥 − 2𝑦 = 1
Geometrically, this means the lines corresponding to the two equations in the
Original system coincide. One way to describe the solution set is to solve this
! !
equation for x in terms of y to obtain 𝑥 = % + " 𝑦 and then assign an arbitrary value t
(called a parameter)to y. This allows us to express the solution by the pair of equations
(called parametric equations)
1 1
𝑥 = + 𝑡, 𝑦 = 𝑡
4 2
 Augmented Matrix
A general linear system of m equations in n unknowns 𝑥! , 𝑥" , … . , 𝑥# can be written as
𝑎!! 𝑥! + 𝑎!" 𝑥" + ⋯ . . +𝑎!# 𝑥# = 𝑏!
𝑎"! 𝑥! + 𝑎"" 𝑥" + ⋯ . . +𝑎"# 𝑥# = 𝑏"
… ……………………………………
… ……………………………………
𝑎&! 𝑥! + 𝑎&" 𝑥" + ⋯ . . +𝑎&# 𝑥# = 𝑏&
we can abbreviate the system by writing only the rectangular array of numbers

𝑎!! 𝑎!" … … 𝑎!# 𝑏!

𝑎"! 𝑎"" … … 𝑎"# 𝑏"
… … … … …
… … … …
…
…… …
𝑎&! 𝑎&" … … 𝑎&# 𝑏&
This is called the augmented matrix for the system.
4𝑥 − 𝑦 + 3𝑧 = −1 4 −1 3 −1
Example: The augmented matrix for the system of equations 3𝑥 + 𝑦 + 9𝑧 = −4 is 3 1 9 @−4
2𝑥 − 5𝑦 − 5𝑧 = −3 2 −5 −5 −3
Elementary Row Operation
The basic method for solving a linear system is to perform algebraic operations on the system that do not
alter the solution set and that produce a succession of increasingly simpler systems, until a point is reached
where it can be ascertained whether the system is consistent, and if so, what its solutions are. Typically, the
algebraic operations are:
• Multiply an equation/row through by a nonzero constant.
• Interchange two equations/rows.
• Add a non zero constant times one equation/row to another.
These are called elementary row operations on a matrix.

Example: Using Elementary Row Operations solve the following system of equation
𝑥 + 𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 9 1 1 2 9
2𝑥 + 4𝑦 − 3𝑧 = 1 2 4 −3 11
3𝑥 + 6𝑦 − 5𝑧 = 0 3 6 −5 0
Solution: Add −2 times the first equation to the second to obtain
𝑥 + 𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 9 1 1 2 9
0+2𝑦 − 7𝑧 = −17 0 2 −7 1−17
3𝑥 + 6𝑦 − 5𝑧 = 0 3 6 −5 0
Elementary Row Operation
Add −3 times the first equation to the third to obtain
𝑥 + 𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 9 1 1 2 9
0 + 2𝑦 − 7𝑧 = −17 0 2 −7 1−17
0 + 3𝑦 − 11𝑧 = −27 0 3 −11 −27
!
Multiply the second equation by " to obtain
𝑥 + 𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 9
7 −17 1 1 2 9
𝑦 − 𝑧 = 0 1 − 742 5− 1742
2 2
3𝑦 − 11𝑧 = −27 0 3 −11 −27
Add −3 times the second equation to the third to obtain
𝑥 + 𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 9
7 −17 1 1 2 9
𝑦 − 𝑧 =
2
1 −3
2 0 1 − 742 − 1742
− 𝑧= 0 0 − 142 − 342
2 2
Multiply the third equation by −2 to obtain
𝑥 + 𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 9 1 1 2 9
7 −17
𝑦 − 𝑧 = 0 1 − 742 5− 1742
2 2 0 0 1 3
𝑧=3
Elementary Row Operation
Add −1 times the second equation to the first to obtain
11 35
𝑥+0 + 𝑧= 1 0 114 354
2 2 2 2
7 −17
𝑦 − 𝑧 = 0 1 − 742 − 1742
2 2
𝑧=3 0 0 1 3
!! '
Add − times the third equation to the first and times the third equation to the second to obtain
" "
𝑥 = 1
𝑦 = 2 1 0 0 1
𝑧 = 3 0 1 0 12
0 0 1 3
The solution 𝑥 = 1, 𝑦 = 2, 𝑧 = 3 is now evident.
Homework: Section 1.1

Homework
Section 1.2
1-2, 5-21, All true false exercises.