System of Linear Equations

Chapter 9.1
System of Linear Equations: A system of 2 linear
equations in 2 unknown variables, x and y is a set equations
of the form,
a11x+a12 y = b1
a 21x+a 22 y = b 2
where, a ij (i = 1, 2, j = 1 , 2) be the coefficients of the
variables and the free terms bi (i=1, 2) are the real numbers.
If the all b i 's ( i= 1, 2) are zero, then the system is called
homogeneous system. If at least one bi (i=1, 2) is not zero,
then the system is called a non-homogeneous system. A
sequence of numbers a1 , and a 2 , is called solution of the
system of linear equations given by the system if
x = a1 , and y = a 2 is a solution of every equation in the
above system
Example 1 : A system of two linear equations in two
variables x and y is given below:
2x + 3y = 8
5x+4y = 12
Example 2: A system of two linear equations in two
variables is given below:
5x +3y = 90
2x + 5y = 105
Example 3. Suppose a company produces two product
namely (i) Shirt and (ii)T-shirt using two resources namely
(i) labor and (ii) capital. The following table provides the
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basic data of the problem;

Shirt T-shirt Availability of

x y Resources
Labor (a11 ) 6 (a12 ) 4 24 (b1 )
Capita (a 21 ) 1 (a 22 ) 2 6 (b2 )
Profit per unit 3 2
(in USD)
Form a system of linear equation:
Solution: Let us define x is the quantity of shirt and y is the
quantity of T-shirt that the company produces using the
resources.
The equation for the resource labor is given by:
Labor : 6x+46 = 24
The equation for the resources capital is given by:
Capital: x+2y = 6
Thus the system of two linear equations of two variables of
x and y is given by:
6x+4y = 24
2+2y = 6
The profit function is given by:
Profit = 3x+2y
Problem 1: Let a company produces two products namely
P, and Q from two raw materials namely R1, and R2. One
unit of product P requires 2 units of R1 and 3 units of R2.
One unit of product Q requires 3 units of R1 and 5 units of
r2. The company has 28 units of raw material R1, 20 units
of raw material R2. Profits from per units of product P, and
Q and R, are $ 3, and $ 4 respectively. Formulate a system
of linear equations.
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System of Linear Equations:
A system of m linear equation in n unknown variables,
x1 , x 2 ,........,x n is a set of linear equations of the form,
a11x1 +a12 x 2 +.............+a1n x n = b1
a 21x1 +a 22 x 2 +.............+a 2n x n = b 2
.
.
.
a m1x1 +a m2 x 2 +.............+a mn x n = b m
where, a ij (i = 1, 2, …..m, j = 1 , 2, ……n) be the
coefficients of the variables and the free terms bi are the
real numbers. If the all b i 's ( i= 1, 2, ……m) are zero, then
the system is called homogeneous system. If at least one b i
is not zero, then the system is called a non-homogeneous
system. A sequence of numbers, 1 ,  2 ,......,  n is called
solution of the system of linear equations given by the
system if x1  1 , x2   2 ,......, xn   n is a solution of every
equation in the above system
Example:
Suppose m types of raw materials A1 , A 2 ,.........,Am are
using to produces n products namely: P1 , P2 ,.........Pn . Let (i)
a ij is the quantity required of the ith raw material (i = 1,
2,……,m) to produce per unit of the jth product (j=1,
2,…..,n) (ii) b i (i= 1, 2,…….,m) is the total available for
raw material i, and (iii) c j is the per unit profit on sale of
each of the jth product.
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Raw Material P1 P2 …………… Pn Total Available Time
A1 a11 a12 ……………… a 1n b1
A2 a 21 a 22 …………… a 2n b2
. . .
.
.
Am a m1 a m2 …………… a mn bm
Unit Profits c1 c2 … ……… c n

Construct the a system.

Example 1: Let a company produces three products namely

P, Q and R from three raw materials namely A, B and C.
One unit of product P requires 2 units of A and 3 units of B
and 5 units of C. One unit of product Q requires 3 units of
A, 2 units of B and 3 units of C and one unit of product R
requires 3 units of A, 2 units of B and 4 units of C. The
company has 18 units of raw material A, 16 units of raw
material B and 24 units of raw material C available to it.
Profits from per units of product P, Q and R are $ 3, $ 5 and
$ 4 respectively. Formulate a system of linear equations.
Solution: Let a company produces x, y and z amounts of
the product P, Q and R. All the information are arranged in
a tabular form as follows:

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Raw P Q R Totality
material x y z
A 2 3 3 18
B 3 2 2 16
C 5 4 4 24
Profit from 3 5 4
per unit
The system of 3 linear equations of three variables x, y and
z is given by:
2x+3y+3z = 18
3x+2y+2z = 16
5x+4y+4z = 24
The profit function is given by:
Profit= 3x+5y+4z
Problem 2. Suppose three types of machines A, B and C turns out four products
1, 2, 3, 4. The table below shows (i) the hours required on each machine type to
produce per unit of each product (ii) total available machine hours per week,
and (iii) per unit profit on sale of each of the product.
Machine Products Total Time
Type 1 2 3 4 Available Per Week
A 2 1 2 1 26
B 1 4 1 3 56
C 2 3 4 1 45
Unit Profits 5 7 8 4
Formulate a system of linear equations.
Methods for Solving a System of Linear Equations:
There are various method for solving a system of linear
equations. The following three methods are widely
applicable for solving a system of linear equations:
(i) Method of substitution
(ii) Method of elimination
(iii) Method of cross multiplication
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(i) Method of Substitution
Let us consider a system of two linear equations of the
following form
a1x + b1y + c1 = 0 (1)
a 2 x + b2 y + c2 = 0 (2)
Now we find the values of x and y which will satisfy
simultaneously both the equations.
Now from equation
-b1 y - c1
x=
a1 (3)
Now substituting the value of x in equation (2) we have
 -b y - c1 
a2  1  + b2 y + c2 = 0
 a1 
-a b y - a 2 c1  a1b 2 y + a1c 2
 2 1 0
a1
 -a 2 b1 y - a 2 c1  a1b 2 y + a1c 2  0
 y a1b 2 -a 2 b1  a 2 c1  a1c 2
a c a c
y= 2 1 1 2
a1b 2 -a 2 b1
a c a c
y = 2 1 1 2
a1b 2 -a 2 b1
Now putting the value of y in the

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 -b1  a 2 c1  a1c 2  c1
x=  
a1 a1b 2 -a 2 b1  a1
-b a c  b a c  c a b +c a b
= 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1
a1 a1b 2 -a 2 b1
a b c  c b 
 1 1 2 1 2
a1 a1b 2 -a 2 b1
b c  c b 
 1 2 1 2
a1b 2 -a 2 b1
x 
b1c2  c1b2 
a1b2 -a 2 b1
Exercise : Solve the following system of linear equation,
2x + 3y = 2 ……………………………………………..(1)
5x+4y = 12 ……………………………………………..(2)
Solution: We have
2x+3y-2 = 0
5x+4y-12 = 0
We know
x 
b1c2  c1b2 
a1b2 -a 2 b1 (3)
Now putting the values of all terms in equation (3) we have
3  -12-4  -2
x=
2  4-5  3
3 6 8

8 1 5
4
Again we have
a 2c1  a1c2
y=
a1b2 -a 2 b1 (4)
Now putting the values of all the terms of in equation (4)
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we have
(5  -2)-(2  -12)
y=
2  4-5  3
10  24

8  15
 2
Problem : Solve the given system of linear equations
5x +3y = 95 (1)
2x – 7y =- 3 (2)
Solution: Here given that
5x+3y -95 = 0
2x-7y+3 = 0
We know
x 
b1c2  c1b2 
a1b2 -a 2 b1 (3)
Now putting the values of all terms in equation (3) we have
(3  3)-(-7  -95)
x=
(5  7)  (3  2)
9  665

35  6
 16
Now putting the value of x in equation (1) we have
y=5
(ii) Method of Elimination
Let us consider a system of two linear equations of the
following form
a1x + b1y + c1 = 0 (1)
a 2 x + b2 y + c2 = 0 (2)
In this method to find the value of x and y for which the
system of equations will be satisfied, we have to transform
the given system of equations into an equivalent system of
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equations such that the coefficients of any of the variables
either of x or of y in both the transformed equations will be
equal. Thereafter by addition or subtraction of these
equations the variable will be eliminated. The equation is so
obtained is a linear equation in one variable and which can
be solved for this variable easily. Then by substituting the
value of the variable in either of the original equation we
can find the value of the other variable.
Here given system of equations is
a1x + b1y + c1 = 0 (1)
a 2 x + b2 y + c2 = 0 (2)
Suppose we want to eliminate the variable x from the
system. For this we have to make the coefficient of the
variable x in both equations equal. Thus to make equal
coefficients of the variable x in both equations we have to
multiply the equation (1) by a 2 and equation (2) by a 1 ,
we have
a 2 a1x + a 2 b1 y + a 2c1 = 0 (3)
a1a 2 x + a1b 2 y + a1c2 = 0 (4)
Now subtracting the equation (4) from (3) we have
y a 2 b1 -a1b2  = a1c2 -a 2c1
a 2c1  a1c2
y=
a1b2 -a 2 b1
Now putting the value of y in equation (3) we have
x 
b1c2  c1b2 
a1b2 -a 2 b1
Example: Solve the system using the elimination method
3x-4y = 1
2x+3y = 12
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Solution: Here the given system is
3x-4y = 1 (1)
2x+3y = 12 (2)
Now multiplying the equation(1) by 2 and equation (2) by 3
we have
6x -8y = 2 (3)
6x +9y = 36 (4)
Now subtracting equation (4) from (3) we have
-8y-9y = 2-36
-17y = -34
y=2
Now putting the value of y in equation (1) we
3x – 8 = 1
3x = 9
x=3
Example: Solve the given system using the elimination
method
3x-2y = 4
-6x+4y = 7
Problem 2 : If the Demand and Supply Laws are
respectively given by the equation;
4qd  9 p  48
qs
p 2
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Find the equilibrium price and quantity.

Problem 3 : Demands for goods of an industry is given by

the equation pqd  100 and supply is given by;
20  3 p  qs . What is the equilibrium price and quantity?
P=10/3, q=30
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Problem 5 : A company produces two different kinds of
products namely A, and B using two different raw materials
namely R1 and R2. The quantity of each raw material to
produce per unit of A and B and also the total amount of R1
and R2 are given in the right side of the table. All the
required information are given below in tabular form

Product Total Amount

A B Of Raw Materials
R1 2 3 8
R2 1 2 5
Per Unit Profit 5 7
(in 000 TK)
Write this form in a system of linear equation and find the
total profit.

Problem: Suppose two different types of machines namely:

A and B are used to produce two different products namely:
P1 and P2. The table below shows: (i) the hour required on
each machine type to produce per unit of each product, (ii)
total machine hours per week, and (iii) per unit profit on
sale of each of the product.
Machine Type Products Time for Each
P1 P2 Machine
A 3 2 12
B 2 2 10
Unit Profits 5 7
Find the quantities of P1 and P2 using any method and
hence find profit.
Problem: A company produces two different products
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namely: P1 and P2 using two different raw materials
namely: R1 and R2. To produce per unit of P1 and P2, the
required quantity of R1 and R2, total amount of R1 and R2,
are given below in tabular form.
Products Quantity of R1
Raw Material P1 P2 and R2
R1 3 2 12
R2 1 2 6
Formulate the problem and find the quantity of P1 and P2
using any method.
Problem : Suppose a company produces both interior and
exterior paints from two raw materials 1 and 2. The
following table provides the basic data of the problem;
Exterior Paint Interior Paint Quantity of Raw
from per ton of from Per Ton Materials
Raw Material of Raw Material (tons)
Raw Material 1 6 4 24
Raw Material 2 1 2 8
Profit per ton in 5 4
thousand USD
Find the daily profit of the company.

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