MA-110 Linear Algebra

Nazar Khan

PUCIT

1. Systems of Linear Equations

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Preliminaries

I Attendance will be marked at the beginning. If you miss it, I

will NOT mark it later.
I Quizzes can be announced as well as unannounced.
I There is no such thing as a stupid question.
I We will be following the book Elementary Linear Algebra –
Applications Version by Howard Anton and Chris Rorres.
I Office Hours: Wednesday 2:00 pm till 3:00 pm or set a time
via email (nazarkhan at pucit.edu.pk).
I Course webpage: http://faculty.pucit.edu.pk/
nazarkhan/teaching/Spring2020/MA110/MA110.html

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Introduction

I A huge number of problems can be modelled by a 2

dimensional array of numbers.
I This 2D array is called a matrix.
I This course deals with solving problems involving matrices.
I These include
I Google’s PageRank algorithm
I Face recognition
I Computer graphics
I and many many many more . . .

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Algebra

I The word algebra comes from the Arabic ‘al-jabr’which literally

means ‘the reunion of broken parts’) from the title of the book
Ilm al-jabr wal-muqabala by Muhammad ibn Musa
al-Khwarizmi.
I Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was a Persian
mathematician, astronomer, and geographer in the 9th century.
I The word algorithm also stems from ‘Algoritmi’, a Latinized
version of al-Khwarizmi.
I Algebra was a revolutionary move away from geometry driven
Greek mathematics.
I It truly gave mathematics ‘wings’ and an ability to touch what
you can’t see or even imagine.

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Linear Equations

I A 2D line in the xy plane can be represented as y = mx + c.

I Alternatively as −mx + 1y = c or a1 x + a2 y = b.
I Such equations are called linear equations.
I Linear equation in n variables1 x1 , x2 , . . . , xn can be expressed
as
a1 x1 + a2 x2 + · · · + an xn = b
where a1 , a2 , . . . , an , bn are constant, real2 numbers.
Linear Non-linear
Power 1 only. Other powers, products, roots
or trigonometric functions.
x + 3y = 7 x + 3y 2 = 7
1
y = 2 x + 3z + 1 3x + 2y − z + xz = 7
y − sin x = 0
√
x + 2x2 + x3 = 1
1
Also called unknowns.
2
Numbers we typically use, like 3,-0.64, 3/4
Nazar Khan Linear Algebra
Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Systems of Linear Equations

I Finite set of linear equations.

4x1 − x2 + 3x3 = −1
3x1 + x2 + 9x3 = −4

I System is consistent if a solution exists that satisfies all

equations.
I Otherwise, the system is inconsistent.

x +y =3
x +y =4

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Systems of Linear Equations

I Every system of linear equations has

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

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Systems of Linear Equations

I A general system of 3 linear equations in 4 unknowns

a11 x1 + a12 x2 + a13 x3 + a14 x4 = b1

a21 x1 + a22 x2 + a23 x3 + a24 x4 = b2
a31 x1 + a32 x2 + a33 x3 + a34 x4 = b3

I Notation: Coefficient aij lies in equation i and multiplies with

unknown xj .

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Systems of Linear Equations

Augmented Matrix

I The system of equations

x1 + x2 + 2x3 = 9
2x1 + 4x2 − 3x3 = 1
3x1 + 6x2 − 5x3 = 0

can be abbreviated via the augmented matrix

 
1 1 2 9
2 4 −3 1
3 6 −5 0

I How can we solve for x1 , x2 and x3 ?

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Elementary Row Operations

1. Multiply an equation by a nonzero constant.

2. Interchange two equations.
3. Add a multiple of one equation to another.

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Reduced Row-Echelon Form

I The
 augmentedmatrix  in the lastproblem was reduced from
1 1 2 9 1 0 0 1
2 4 −3 1 to 0 1 0 2
3 6 −5 0 0 0 1 3
I This is an example of a matrix that is in reduced row-echelon
form.
I A matrix in this form must have the following properties:
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.

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Row-Echelon Form

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

echelon form.
I Thus, a matrix in reduced row echelon form is also in row
echelon form, but not conversely.

I We now look at a systematic procedure for obtaining

row-echelon form. It is called Gaussian elimination.
Nazar Khan Linear Algebra
Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Gaussian Elimination

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Gaussian Elimination

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Gaussian Elimination

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Gauss-Jordan Elimination for Reduced Row-Echelon Form

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Free Variables and Infinite Solutions

−2
h1 3 0 3
i
I Consider the following linear system 2 6 −5 −2 7
0 0 5 10 −5
h1 3 −2 0 3
i
I The row echelon form is 0 0 1 2 −1
0 0 0 0 0

I Therefore, x1 and x3 are leading variables and x2 and x4 are

free variables.
I Any free variables imply that there are infinite solutions.
I Setting x2 = s and x4 = t, we obtain x3 = −1 − 2t and
x1 = 3 − 3s + 2(−1 − 2t).
I For s = 1 and t = 1, we get

x1 = −6, x2 = 1, x3 = −3, x4 = 1 (Verify)

I Since s and t can take an infinite range of values, there are

infinite solutions.
Find solution for s = 2 and t = −1 and verify.
Nazar Khan Linear Algebra
Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Homogeneous Systems

I When the constant terms in all equations are 0, the linear

system is called homogeneous.
I The system of equations

x1 + x2 + 2x3 = 0
2x1 + 4x2 − 3x3 = 0
3x1 + 6x2 − 5x3 = 0

abbreviated via the augmented matrix

 
1 1 2 0
2 4 −3 0
3 6 −5 0

is homogeneous.

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Homogeneous Systems

I Setting all unknowns to 0 always satisfies any homogeneous

system. So a homogeneous system can never be inconsistent.
I It has either the all-zeros (trivial) solution or infinitely many
solutions.

I We are usually interested in non-trivial solutions.

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

When are there infinite solutions?

I For both homogeneous as well as consistent non-homogeneous

systems, if number of equations is less than number of
unknowns, there must be infinite solutions.
I This is because the row-echelon form will necessarily contain
free variables. h1 3 −2 0 0i
I Consider the homogeneous linear system 2 6 −5 −2 0
0 0 5 11 0
h1 3 −2 0 0i
I The row echelon form 0 0 1 2 0 contains 3 leading 1s.
0 0 0 1 0

I Since there are 3 rows, number of leading 1s can never exceed

3 and there must be atleast 1 free variable.
I Since x2 is a free variable here, there are infinite solutions.

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Take Home Points

I Linear equation
I Linear system
I Solution set
I Consistent system
I Augmented matrix
I Elementary row operations
I Row echelon form – Gaussian elimination
I Reduced row echelon form – Gauss-Jordan elimination
I Back substitution
I Homogeneous system
I Trivial solution

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra

Introduction Systems of Linear Equations Gaussian Elimination Free Variables Homogeneous Systems Infinite Solutions

Questions

I Exercise 1.1
I 1, 2, 5 − 8, 12, 21, 24, all true-false questions.
I Exercise 1.2
I 1 − 3, 6, 10, 23, 36 − 38, all true-false questions.

Nazar Khan Linear Algebra