FACULTY OF SCIENCE COMPUTER AND MATHEMATICS

UITM KAMPUS KUALA TERENGGANU

LINEAR ALGEBRA 1: MAT263

CASE STUDY:
APPLICATING MATRIX IN REAL LIFE TO
FIND THE PRICE PER POUND OF FRUITS

Siti Nor Fatihah Binti Mohd Zamrus 2018281708

Ahmad Zunnurain Bin Alias 2018213274
Syed Muhammad Shafiq Bin Syed Qamma 2018673094
Mior Ali Muktabar Bin Mior Yazid 2018698246

CLASS: CS110 5H

LECTURER’S NAME: DR NUR ATIKAH SALAHUDIN

DUE DATE: 21 JANUARY 2021

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 Acknowledgement

With gratitude, all praises go to Him, the Creator of all. After all obstacles and hardship

that obstruct our path, we finally completed our group case study report. Hereby, without doubt

we would like to say that, during the completion of this case study, plenty of knowledge have

been obtained. Though, undeniably, it is quite difficult for us to complete the task as well as to

solve the problem given, it is worthy, and we learn much.

The case study has been prepared with the cooperation and support of many people

especially among group members. We would like to thank to our course lecturer, Miss Nur

Atikah Salahudin, for his guidance, support, and advice. He also shares her knowledge to

ensure us finish this case study in accordance with the requirements for the completion of

MAT263. Special thanks to our parents also, for giving us the endless support in completing

this case study. We are not able to complete all these things without this great people.

Lastly, we hope the knowledge that we have gathered from this course can help us to

manage and apply in real life and guide us to be a successful person in the future. We would

like to apologize for all the mistakes that happened with or without our concern. Once for all,

a great gratitude to Allah and others that have been helping us so much. Only Allah can repay

all your good deeds. Thank you.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

NO TOPIC PAGE

1. ACKNOWLEDGMENT 2

2. TABLE OF CONTENT 3

3.
INTRODUCTION
4
3.1 HISTORY OF MATRICES

4. PURPOSE

4.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT 5

4.2 OBJECTIVES 5

5. METHODOLOGY

5.1 STEPS TO CRAMER’S RULE 6

5.2 APPLICATION
6

6. RESULTS 9

7. DISCUSSION 9

9. REFERENCES 10

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3. INTRODUCTION
3.1 History of matrices

The concept of a matrix dates to ancient times but was first referred to as a
matrix in 1850 by James Joseph Sylvester. They were first used between 300 BC and
AD 200 in a Chinese text called Nine Chapters of Mathematical Art by Chiu Chang
Suan Shu written during the Han Dynasty, which had the idea of determinants and
solving systems of equations with a matrix.

The Babylonians also studied matrices, but the Chinese did much more study
into them. One of the Chinese matrix methods is commonly known today as Gaussian
Elimination. The theory of matrices was developed by a mathematician named
Gottfried Leibniz. He first took out coefficients of linear equations and put them in a
matrix. Then, Carl Gauss further developed the matrix theory in the late 1700s. He
added matrix multiplication, inverses, and Gaussian Elimination. Gaussian
Elimination is a method to solve system of equations with 3 or more variables, and it
involves getting most matrix numbers to zero, or an identity matrix. This is done doing
"elementary row operations."

This method was also actually in the Chinese text, but Gauss rediscovered it.
Next, Sylvester gave the rectangular table the name of the matrix, Latin for womb in
1850. He also reinforced the theory with the process of finding a determinant.

Finally, a man named Arthur Cayley, a good friend of Sylvester came up with
many matrix contributions, such as reinforcing matrix multiplication addition,
subtraction, and division. He also further added to the inverse theory, and gave it a
precise definition, and discovered scalar multiplication of matrices, which is multiplying
a matrix by an integer.

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4. PURPOSE
4.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT

The fruit stall in Shah Alam is making a clearance sale due to upcoming MCO.
The three friends, Alissa, Abu and Lee decided to spend there to help the seller.
Alissa spend RM34 on 2 pounds of rambutans, a pound of lychees and 4 pounds of
oranges. Abu spends RM35 for 3 pounds of rambutans, 2 pounds of lychees and 2
pounds of oranges. Lee pays RM49 for 5 pounds of rambutans, 3 pounds of lychees
and 2 pounds of oranges.

Find the price per pound for the rambutan, lychees and oranges sold by the store.

4.2 OBJECTIVES

The objectives to this study are to determine the price per pound of the fruits mention
in the problem statement (Rambutans, lychees and oranges). We also aim to find the
best way to solve these problems by applying matrices to solve the following
problems. We have chosen to use the Cramer’s rule to solve this problem.

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5. METHODOLOGY
5.1 Steps to Cramer’s Rule
5.1.1 Writing the information into linear equation.

𝑎11 𝑋 + 𝑎12 𝑌 + 𝑎13 𝑍 = 𝑏1

𝑎21 𝑋 + 𝑎22 𝑌 + 𝑎23 𝑍 = 𝑏2

𝑎31 𝑋 + 𝑎32 𝑌 + 𝑎33 𝑍 = 𝑏3

5.1.2 Putting the equation into its’s matrix form ( aX = b)

𝑎11 𝑎12 𝑎13 𝑥 𝑏1
𝐴 = [𝑎21 𝑎22 𝑎23 ] [𝑦] = [𝑏2 ]
𝑎31 𝑎32 𝑎33 𝑧 𝑏3

5.1.3 Only proceed with Cramer’s rule if the matrix is a square matrix.

5.1.4 Calculate the determinant of A. You can proceed to next step if A ≠ 0.

5.1.5 Write matrix of 𝐴𝑥 , 𝐴𝑦 and 𝐴𝑧 .

𝑏1 𝑎12 𝑎13 𝑎11 𝑏1 𝑎13 𝑎11 𝑎12 𝑏1

𝐴𝑥 = [𝑏2 𝑎22 𝑎23 ] 𝐴𝑦 = [𝑎21 𝑏2 𝑎23 ] 𝐴𝑧 = [𝑎12 𝑎22 𝑏2 ]
𝑏3 𝑎32 𝑎33 𝑎31 𝑏3 𝑎33 𝑎13 𝑎32 𝑏3

5.1.6 Calculate the determinant for 𝐴𝑥 , 𝐴𝑦 and 𝐴𝑧 which is |𝐴𝑥 |, |𝐴𝑦 | 𝑎𝑛𝑑 |𝐴𝑧 |

5.1.7 Find the solution by using.

|𝐴𝑖 |
𝑖= , 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖 = 𝑥, 𝑦 𝑜𝑟 𝑧
|𝐴|

5.2 APPLICATION
5.2.1 substitute the fruits into variable.

Let Rambutan = x,

Let Lychee = y,
Let Oranges = z
5.2.2 Write the information into linear equation.

2𝑋 + 𝑌 + 4𝑍 = 34

3𝑋 + 2𝑌 + 2𝑍 = 35

5𝑋 + 3𝑌 + 2𝑍 = 49

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 5.2.3 Put the equation into matrix form (aX = b).
2 1 4 𝑥 34
𝐴 = [3 2 2] [𝑦] = [35]
5 3 2 𝑧 49

5.2.4 since the matrix is a square matrix, we can proceed with the
Cramer’s rule.
2 1 4
𝐴 = [3 2 2]
5 3 2

5.2.5 calculate the determinant of A. Since A≠0 , we can proceed.

|𝐴| = 2(4 − 6) − 1(6 − 10) + 4(9 − 10)

= −4 + 4 − 4

= −4

5.2.6 Write the matrix of 𝐴𝑥 , 𝐴𝑦 and 𝐴𝑧

34 1 4 2 34 4 2 1 34
𝐴𝑥 = [35 2 2] , 𝐴𝑦 = [3 35 2] , 𝐴𝑧 = [3 2 35]
49 3 2 5 49 2 5 3 49
5.2.7 Calculate the determinant for 𝐴𝑥 , 𝐴𝑦 and 𝐴𝑧 which is
|𝐴𝑥 |, |𝐴𝑦 | 𝑎𝑛𝑑 |𝐴𝑧 |

34 1 4
𝐴𝑥 = [35 2 2]
49 3 2

|𝐴𝑋 | = 34(4 − 6) − 35(2 − 12) + 49(8 − 2)

=-12

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 2 34 4
𝐴𝑦 = [3 35 2]
5 49 2

|𝐴𝑦 | = 34(6 − 10) − 35(4 − 20) + 49(12 − 4)

=-32

2 1 34
𝐴𝑧 = [3 2 35]
5 3 49

|𝐴𝑧 | = 34(9 − 10) − 35(6 − 5) + 49(4 − 3)

=-20

|𝐴𝑖 |
5.2.8 Find the solution using by using 𝑖 = |𝐴|

|𝐴𝑥 | −12
𝑥= = =3
|𝐴| −4

|𝐴𝑦 | −32
𝑦= = =8
|𝐴| −4
|𝐴𝑧 | −20
𝑧= = =5
|𝐴| −4

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6. RESULTS

The results to our study bring us to conclude that by using the Cramer’s rule,
we could solve our daily problems. Referring to our solutions, we found out that the
sellers sell Rambutan for RM 3 for each pound, RM 8 for each pound lychee and RM
5 for each pound of orange.

This proves that Matrices or algebra in general, are indeed useful in our daily
life, despite we think otherwise. This also applies to other linear systems matrices
methods such as Inverse Method and Gaussian Jordan Elimination method.

7.DISCUSSION

This study has enlightened us to the importance of linear algebra in our daily
life not just in specific fields but as general as calculating your expenses. As this study
ends, we can conclude that we indeed been using complex mathematical reasoning
in our life to fulfil our needs.

As per our objectives, we indeed managed to acquire the prices of the fruits
sold in our problem statement as stated in our results. We also managed to find the
most effective way to solve the problems and get the right answer to the questions.
We also did manage to practise the usage of matrix in our daily life to familiarised
ourselves with it.

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REFERENCES

Books

• Schneider, Hans, and George Phillip Barker. Matrices and Linear Algebra
(Dover Books on Mathematics). 2nd Revised ed., Dover Publications, 1989.

Websites

• “Matrices.” Matrices, www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matrix-introduction.html.

Accessed 17 Jan. 2021.
• Stapel, Elizabeth. “Cramer’s Rule.” Purplemath,
www.purplemath.com/modules/cramers.htm. Accessed 18 Jan. 2021.

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