Lecture 3: Solving Linear Systems

Elif Tan

Ankara University

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 1 / 20

Matrix representation of a linear system
Consider the linear system of m equations in n unknowns,
a11 x1 + a12 x2 + ... + a1n xn = b1
a21 x1 + a22 x2 + ... + a2n xn = b2
..
.
am1 x1 + am2 x2 + ... + amn xn = bm . (1)
De…ne the matrices;
2 3 2 3 2 3
a11 a12 . . . a1n x1 b1
6 a21 a22 . . . a2n 7 6 x2 7 6 b2 7
6 7 6 7 6 7
A=6 . .. .. .. 7 , x=6 .. 7 , b=6 .. 7 .
4 .. . . . 5 4 . 5 4 . 5
am1 am2 . . . amn m n
xn n 1
bm m 1

Then the linear system (1) can be written in matrix form as:
Ax = b
Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 2 / 20
Matrix representation of a linear system
The matrix A is called coe¢ cient matrix of the linear system (1).
The matrix [A : b ] which is obtained by adjoining column b to A is
called augmented matrix of the linear system (1).

Example
Consider the linear system

x1 + 2x2 + 3x3 = 5
2x1 + x2 3x3 = 1
x1 x2 + x3 = 3.

The linear system can be written in a matrix form as Ax = b :

2 3 2 3 2 3
1 2 3 x1 5
A=4 2 1 3 5 , x = 4 x2 5 , b=4 1 5 .
1 1 1 3 3
x3 3 1 3 3 1

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 3 / 20

Echelon form of a matrix

De…nition
An m n matrix A is said to be in reduced row echelon form if it
satis…es the followig rules:
1 All zero rows, if there are any, lie at the bottom of the matrix.
2 The …rst nonzero entry from the left of a non zero row is 1. (This
entry is called a leading one of its row)
3 For each nonzero row, the leading one lies to the right and below of
any leading ones in preceding row.
4 If a column contains a leading one, then all other entries in that
column are zero.

If a matrix satis…es the conditions (1) , (2) and (3) we say that it is in row
echelon form.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 4 / 20

Echelon form of a matrix
Examples
The
2 following matrices
3 are not in reduced row echelon form:
1 0 0 2 3 2 3 2 3
6 0 7 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 0
6 0 1 3 5 7 4 5 4
4 0 , 0 1 2 , 0 0 0 0 0 5
1 2 0 0 5
0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 0
The
2 following matrices
3 are in row echelon form:
1 0 0 2 3 2 3 2 3
6 0 1 0 3 1 0 2 3 5
6 1 1 3 5 7 7,4 0
4 0 1 2 5,4 0 1 8 2 0 5
0 1 0 0 5
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0
The
2 following matrices
3 are in reduced row echelon form:
1 0 0 2 3 2 3 2 3
6 0 7 1 0 0 1 0 2 3 0
6 1 0 3 5 7 4 5 4
4 0 , 0 1 0 , 0 1 8 2 0 5
0 1 0 0 5
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0
Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 5 / 20
Echelon form of a matrix

Every matrix can be transform row (column) echelon form by means of

row (column) operations:

De…nition
An elemantary row operations on a matrix A are
1 Interchange the i-th and j-th rows (ri $ rj )
2 Multiply a row by a non zero constant (kri ! ri )
3 Add a multiple of i-th row to the another j-th row (kri + rj ! rj )

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 6 / 20

Echelon form of a matrix
2 3
1 2 3
Example: Let A = 4 2 1 3 5.
1 1 1

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 7 / 20

Echelon form of a matrix

Homework: Find the reduced row echelon form of the following matrices.
2 3
0 2 3 4 1
6 0 0 2 3 4 7
1) 6
4 2
7
2 5 2 4 5
2 0 6 9 7
2 3
1 2 5
2) 4 2 1 6 5
1 1 3
2 3
1 2 3
3) 4 0 1 2 5
2 9 4

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 8 / 20

Solving Linear Systems

Now we use echelon forms to determine the solutions of a linear system.

We have two methods for solving a linear sytem:
1 Gauss Elemination Method:
Transform the augmented matrix [A : b ] to the row echelon form
[C : d ] by using elemantary row operations
Solve the corresponding linear system [C : d ] by using back
substitution.
2 Gauss-Jordan Method:
Transform the augmented matrix [A : b ] to the reduced row echelon
form [C : d ] by using elemantary row operations
Solve the corresponding linear system [C : d ] without back substitution.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 9 / 20

Solving Linear Systems

Example
Solve the linear system

x1 + 2x2 + 3x3 = 5
2x1 + x2 3x3 = 1
x1 x2 + x3 = 3.

Solution: We can write the above linear system in a matrix form

2 32 3 2 3
1 2 3 x1 5
Ax = b ) 4 2 1 3 5 4 x2 5 = 4 1 5 .
1 1 1 x3 3

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 10 / 20

Solving Linear Systems

If we transform the augmented matrix of the linear system to the row

echelon form, we get
2 3 2 3
1 2 3 : 5 1 2 3 : 5
[A : b ] 4 2 1 3 : 1 5 4 0 1 3 : 3 5.
1 1 1 : 3 0 0 1 : 1

The corresponding linear system is

x1 + 2x2 + 3x3 = 5
x2 + 3x3 = 3
x3 = 1.

Then by using back substitution, the unique solution of the linear system
is x1 = 2, x2 = 0, x3 = 1.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 11 / 20

Solving Linear Systems

To obtain the solution of the linear system by using Gauss-Jordan method,

we transform the augmented matrix in a reduced row echlon form:
2 3 2 3
1 2 3 : 5 1 0 0 : 2
[A : b ] 4 2 1 3 : 1 5 4 0 1 0 : 0 5.
1 1 1 : 3 0 0 1 : 1

Then the unique solution of the linear system is x1 = 2, x2 = 0, x3 = 1.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 12 / 20

Solving Linear Systems

Example
Solve the linear system

x1 + 2x2 + 3x3 + 4x4 = 5

x2 + 2x3 + 3x4 = 1
2x2 + 4x3 + 6x4 = 3.

Solution: If we transform the augmented matrix of the linear system to

the row echelon form, we get
2 3 2 3
1 2 3 4 : 5 1 2 3 4 : 5
[A : b ] 4 0 1 2 3 : 1 5 4 0 1 2 3 : 1 5.
0 2 4 6 : 3 0 0 0 0 : 1

Since the last equation 0x1 + 0x2 + 0x3 + 0x4 = 1 can never be satis…ed,
the linear system has no solution.(It is inconsistent).
Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 13 / 20
Solving Linear Systems

Example
Solve the linear system

x1 + 2x3 + 3x4 + x5 = 5
x2 x3 + 3x4 + 2x5 = 1
x3 + 3x4 + 2x5 = 2
2x4 + 6x5 = 2.

Solution: If we transform the augmented matrix of the linear system to

the row echelon form, we get
2 3 2 3
1 0 2 3 1 : 5 1 0 2 3 1 : 5
6 0 1 1 3 2 : 1 7 6 0 1 1 3 2 : 1 7
[A : b ] 6
4 0 0 1 3 2 : 2 5
7 6
4 0
7.
0 1 3 2 : 2 5
0 0 0 2 6 : 2 0 0 0 1 3 : 1

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 14 / 20

Solving Linear Systems

The corresponding linear system is

x1 + 2x3 + 3x4 + x5 = 5
x2 x3 + 3x4 + 2x5 = 1
x3 + 3x4 + 2x5 = 2
x4 + 3x5 = 1.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 15 / 20

Solving Linear Systems

Then the linear system has in…nitely many solutions depend on the real
parameter r :

x1 = 4 6r
x2 = 4 14r
x3 = 1 + 7r
x4 = 1 3r
x5 = r , r 2 R.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 16 / 20

Solving Linear Systems

Remark: Consider the linear system Ax = b. When we transform the

augmented matrix [A : b ] to the row echelon form [C : d ] ;
1 If the number of nonzero rows of [C : d ] is equal to the number of
nonzero rows of [C ] , the linear system is consistent.
In this case if the number of unknowns (n ) is equal to the number of
nonzero rows (r ), then the system has a unique solution.
If the number of unknowns (n ) is greater than to the number of
nonzero rows (r ), then the system has in…nitely many solutions depend
on n r parameters.
2 If the number of nonzero rows of [C : d ] is not equal to the number of
nonzero rows of [C ] , the linear system has no solution (inconsistent).

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 17 / 20

Finding Inverse of a Matrix

Let A is an n n square matrix. To …nd A 1 , if it exists, we transform the

augmented matrix [A : In ] to the reduced row echelon form [C : D ] .
If C = In , then D = A 1

If C 6= In , then C has a row of zeros. (A is singular)

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 18 / 20

Finding Inverse of a Matrix
2 3
1 2 3
Example: Consider the matrix A = 4 2 1 3 5 . Since the reduced
1 1 1
row echelon form of the matrix A is I3 , the matrix A is nonsingular.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 19 / 20

Finding Inverse of a Matrix

Remark: For n n matrix A, the followings are equivalent:

1 A is nonsingular, that is, A 1 exists.
2 A is row equivalent to In , that is, the reduced row echelon form of A
is In .
3 The linear system Ax = b has a unique solution for every n 1
matrix b.
4 The homogenous linear system Ax = 0 has only zero (trivial) solution.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 3 20 / 20