Course : MATH6030001 - Linear Algebra

Effective Period : February 2024

Systems of Linear Equations

Session 01-02
Acknowledgement
These slides have been
adapted from:

Howard Anton and Anton

Kaul. Elementary linear
algebra: Applications
version (12th Edition).
John Wiley & Sons, 2019.

Section 1.1-1.2
 Learning Objectives
LO 1 : Solve systems of linear equations using
various methods.

• Students will be able to

represent real problems in
systems of linear equations.
• Students will be able to use
appropriate methods to solve a
system of linear equations.
 Contents

1
System of linear equations
2
Solution
3
Gaussian and Gauss-Jordan
4
Elimination
Homogeneous System
of Linear Equations
Definition
Linear Equations in several variables are equations in the form of
polynomials which have degrees one or zero and there is no
multiplication between variables.

A linear equation in the variables 𝑥1 … 𝑥𝑛 is an equation that can be

written in the form
𝑎1𝑥1 + 𝑎2𝑥2 + ⋯ + 𝑎𝑛𝑥𝑛 = 𝑏
Where 𝑎1, … , 𝑎𝑛, and b are constant.

Example :
2𝑥1 − 𝑥2 + 1.5𝑥3 = 8 … (1)
2𝑥1 𝑥2 + 𝑥2 = 2 … (2) The equation (2) and (3) are not linear because
2𝑥1 − 𝑥2 + 𝑥3 = 8 … (3) of the presence of 𝑥1 𝑥2 in the first equation
and 𝑥3 in the second
Definition

A system of linear equations (or a linear system) is a collection of

one or more linear equations involving the same variables
—say, 𝑥1 … 𝑥𝑛.

Example:
2𝑥1 − 𝑥2 + 1.5𝑥3 = 8
𝑥1 − 4𝑥3 = −7
SOLUTION OF LINEAR
SYSTEM
A solution of a linear system in n unknowns 𝑥1, 𝑥2, … , 𝑥𝑛 is is a sequence of n
numbers
𝑠1, 𝑠2, … , 𝑠𝑛 for which the substitution
𝑥1= 𝑠1,𝑥2=𝑠2,… 𝑥𝑛= 𝑠𝑛
Example : Determine solution for system of linear equations as follows :
5𝑥 + 𝑦 = 3
2𝑥 − 𝑦 = 4
Solution : the system has the solution 𝑥 = 1 , 𝑦 = −2

A system of linear equations has

1. no solution, or
2. exactly one solution, or
3. infinitely many solutions.

A system of linear equations is said to be consistent if it has either one solution or

infinitely many solutions; a system is inconsistent if it has no solution.
Linear Systems with Two Unknown
Linear systems in two unknowns arise in connection with intersections of lines. For
example, consider the linear system
𝑎1𝑥 + 𝑏1𝑦 = 𝑐1
𝑎2𝑥 + 𝑏2𝑦 = 𝑐2

Each solution (x,y) of this system corresponds to a point of intersection of

the lines, so there are three possibilities :
1. no solution, if the lines may be parallel and distinct,
2. exactly one solution, if the lines may intersect at only one point.
3. infinitely many solutions, if the lines may coincide, in which case there
are infinitely many points of intersection.
 Linear Systems with Two Unknown

Examples :
A linear system with no A linear system with one A linear System with
solution solution infinitely many solutions
𝑥+𝑦 =4 5𝑥 + 𝑦 = 3 4𝑥 − 2𝑦 = 1
3𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 6 2𝑥 − 𝑦 = 4 16𝑥 − 8𝑦 = 4
 Linear Systems with
Three Unknowns

Similarly, for a linear system of

three equations in three
unknowns:

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
Ilustration

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 Example: A Linear System
with One Solution

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 Example: A Linear System with No
Solution

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 Example 1: A Linear System with
Infinitely Many Solutions

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 Example 1:
A Linear System with
Infinitely Many Solutions (cont.)

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 Example 2:
A Linear System with
Infinitely Many Solutions

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Methods of solving systems of
linear equations

Gaussian and Gauss-Jordan

Elimination
A system of linear equation can be represented as a matrix.
This is called the augmented matrix for the system
a11x1 + a12x2 + ⋯+ a1nxn = b1 a11 a12 ⋯ a1n b1
a21x1 + a22x2 + ⋯+ a2nxn = b2 a21 a22 ⋯ a2n b2
⋮ ⋮ ⋮
⋮ ⋮
am1 am2 ⋯ amn bm.
am1x1 + am2x2 + ⋯+ amnxn = bm.

Example : Find the

augmented matrix of
system of linear
equation
x1 + x2 + 2x3 = 9 1 1 2 9
2x1 - 3x3 = 1 2 4 −3 1
3x1 + 6x2 - 5x3 = 0 3 6 −5 0
Elementary row operations on a matrix

Three operations correspond to the following operations on

the rows of the augmented matrix:

1. Multiply a row through by a nonzero constant. (cRi)

2. Interchange two rows. (Ri ↔ Rj)
3. Add a constant times one row to another. (Ri + cRj).
 Row echelon form.

A matrix that has the following properties is said to be in reduced row

echelon form:
1. If a row does not consist entirely of zeros, then the first nonzero number
in the row is a 1.
We call this a leading 1.
2. If there are any rows that consist entirely of zeros, then they are grouped
together at the bottom of the matrix.
3. In any two successive rows that do not consist entirely of zeros, the
leading 1 in the lower row occurs farther to the
right than the leading 1 in the higher row.
4. Each column that contains a leading 1 has zeros everywhere else in that
column.

A matrix that has the first three properties is said to be in row echelon form
 Gauss-Jordan elimination.
A matrix that has the following properties is said to be in reduced row echelon form.
1. If a row does not consist entirely of zeros, then the first nonzero number in the row is a 1.
We call this a leading 1.
2. If there are any rows that consist entirely of zeros, then they are grouped together at the
bottom of the matrix.
3. In any two successive rows that do not consist entirely of zeros, the leading 1 in the lower
row occurs farther to the
right than the leading 1 in the higher row.
4. Each column that contains a leading 1 has zeros everywhere else in that column.

A matrix that has the first three properties is said to be in row echelon form

The procedure (or algorithm) to reduce a matrix into reduced row echelon form
is called Gauss-Jordan elimination.
The procedure (or algorithm) to reduce a matrix into row echelon form
followed by back substitutions is called Gaussian elimination.
 Example 1 : Solve by Gauss elimination.
In the left column we solve a system of linear equations by operating on the
equations in the system, and in the right column we solve the same system by
operating on the rows of the augmented matrix.

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 Example 1 : Solve by Gauss elimination. (cont.)

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 Example 1 : Solve by Gauss elimination (cont.)

We proceed with back substitutions.

From the equations z = 3 and y – 7z/2 = -17/2, we have y = 2.

From the equations z = 3 and x + 11z/2 = 35/2, we have x = 1.

Hence, the solution is x = 1 , y = 2, z = 3.

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 Example 2 : Solve by Gauss-Jordan elimination.

Solve the system of linear equation in the previous example by

Gauss-Jordan elimination!

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 Example 2 : Solve by Gauss-Jordan elimination (cont.)

Solution: Similar as in the previous example, we proceed until we

have the augmented matrix in row echelon form.

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 Homogeneous System
of Linear Equations
A system of linear equations is said to be homogeneous if the
constant terms are all zero; that is, the system has the form

Every homogeneous system of linear equations is always

consistent because all such systems at least have
x1=0, x2=0, …, xn=0 as a solution. This solution is called the
trivial solution.
If there are other solutions, they are called nontrivial solutions.

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 Homogeneous System
of Linear Equations
Because a homogeneous linear system always has the trivial
solution, there are only two possibilities for its solutions:
• The system has only the trivial solution.
• The system has infinitely many solutions in addition to the
trivial solution.

In the special case of a homogeneous linear system of two

equations in two unknowns, say

the graphs of the equations are lines through the origin, and the
trivial solution corresponds to the point of intersection at the
origin.
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 Illustration

There is one case in which a homogeneous system is assured of

having nontrivial solutions : whenever the system involves more
unknowns than equations.

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 Example : Solving the homogeneous linear
system

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 Example (Cont.)

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 References
Howard Anton and Anton Kaul. (2019). Elementary Linear
Algebra. 12. Wiley. New Jersey. ISBN: 978-1-119-40677-8
Thank You