Applied Linear Algebra: MAT3002

Module 1: System of Linear Equations and Matrices

Matrix representation of system of linear equations, Elementary Operations, System in triangular
and Echelon form, Rank of Matrices, Eigen values and Eigen vectors - properties of Eigen values
and Eigen vectors, Existence of solution, Methods of solution - Gaussian elimination and Gauss
Jordan methods - Inverse matrix by Gauss Jordan methods - LDU factorization - Applications to
Traffic flow/ Network Analysis, Chemical balancing, Electrical networks and Cryptography.
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Definition 1. (Triangular Matrix)
A square matrix, all of whose element below the leading diagonal are zero, is called an
upper triangular matrix. A square matrix, all of whose elements above the leading diagonal
are zero, is called a lower triangular matrix.
1 3 2
Example 1. The matrix A= [0 4 1] is upper triangular matrix.
0 0 6
2 0 0
The matrix B= [4 1 0] is lower triangular matrix.
5 6 7

Definition 2. (Diagonal Matrix)

A square matrix is called a diagonal matrix, if all its non-diagonal elements are zero.
1 0 0
Example 2. The matrix C= [0 3 0] is diagonal matrix.
0 0 4
1 0 0
I= [0 1 0] is an identity matrix.
0 0 1

Definition 3. (Elementary Row Operations)

There are three elementary row operations:
1. Row Interchange (or Swap): 𝑅𝑖 ↔ 𝑅𝑗
2. Row Addition (or Subtraction): 𝑅𝑖 → 𝑅𝑖 ± 𝑅𝑗 for some k ≠ 0.
1
3. Row Scaling (up or down): 𝑅𝑖 → 𝑘𝑅𝑖 or 𝑅𝑖 → 𝑅𝑖 for some k ≠ 0.
𝑘

Remark 1. Row Operations 2 and 3 are combined as:

1
𝑅𝑖 → 𝑅𝑖 ± 𝑘𝑅𝑗 or 𝑅𝑖 → 𝑅𝑖 ± 𝑅𝑗
𝑘

Definition 4. (Elementary Column Operations)

There are three elementary column operations:
1. Column Interchange (Swap): 𝐶𝑖 ↔ 𝐶𝑗
 2. Column Addition (or Subtraction): 𝐶𝑖 → 𝐶𝑖 ± 𝐶𝑗 for some k ≠ 0.
1
3. Column Scaling (up or down): 𝐶𝑖 → 𝑘𝐶𝑖 or 𝐶𝑖 → 𝐶𝑖 for some k ≠ 0.
𝑘

Remark 2. If a matrix B is obtained from a matrix A by one or more elementary operations

(row or column), then B is said to be equivalent to A. The symbol ~ is used for equivalence,
that is, 𝐴~𝐵.

Remark 3. Two matrices are called row equivalent if one can be obtained from the other
by doing some number of row operations.

Example 3. Using elementary row operations, reduce the following matrix to upper
triangular matrix:
1 2 3
A= [2 5 7]
3 1 2

Solution:

Example 4. (For Students)

1 3 3
Applying elementary operations, transform [2 4 10] to an identity matrix.
3 8 4

Definition 5. (Elementary Matrix)

A matrix obtained from an identity matrix by a single elementary transformation, is
called Elementary Matrix.
For example,
1 0 0
𝐼 = [0 1 0]
0 0 1
0 1 0
~ [1 0 0] ; 𝑅1 ↔ 𝑅2
0 0 1
 1 0 0
Example 5. Identity matrix I = [0 1 0].
0 0 1
If we apply an elementary transformation (say, 𝑅2 → 𝑅2 + 3𝑅1 ), we get the new
matrix:
1 0 0
[3 1 0],
0 0 1
which is treated as one of elementary matrices of the given matrix. Other elementary
matrices can be obtained by applying some other elementary transformations.

Matrix Representation of System of Linear Equations

Consider the following system of three equations

𝑎11 𝑥 + 𝑎12 𝑦 + 𝑎13 𝑧 = 𝑏1
𝑎21 𝑥 + 𝑎22 𝑦 + 𝑎23 𝑧 = 𝑏2
𝑎31 𝑥 + 𝑎32 𝑦 + 𝑎33 𝑧 = 𝑏3
Above system can be written in matrix form as follows:
𝐴𝑋 = 𝐵
where
𝑎11 𝑎12 𝑎13
𝐴 = [𝑎21 𝑎22 𝑎23 ]
𝑎31 𝑎32 𝑎33
𝑥
𝑋 =[𝑦]
𝑧
𝑏1
𝐵 = [ 𝑏2 ]
𝑏3
A system of equations can be represented by an augmented matrix. In an
augmented matrix, each row represents one equation in the system and each column
represents a variable or the constant terms.

Augmented matrix = (𝐴 ⋮ 𝐵)

𝑎11 𝑎12 𝑎13 ⋮ 𝑏1

= (𝑎21 𝑎22 𝑎23 ⋮ 𝑏2 )
𝑎31 𝑎32 𝑎33 ⋮ 𝑏3

Methods to Solve a System of Simultaneous Linear Equations

1. Gauss Elimination Method (or Gaussian Elimination Method)

2. Gauss Jorden Method
Gauss Elimination Method
In this method, we make all elements below the diagonal to zero (i.e. upper triangular
matrix) as follows:
Step 1. Make the first element of third row to zero using first row.
Step 2. Make the first element of second row to zero using first row.
Step 3. Make the second element of third row to zero using second row.
Then, by back-substitution, find the value of z, y and x.

Example 6. Solve the system of equations by Gauss elimination method:

4𝑥 − 5𝑦 − 4𝑧 = 9,
2𝑥 + 4𝑦 + 𝑧 = 4,
3𝑥 − 𝑦 − 5𝑧 = 0.
Solution. The matrix corresponding to the given system of equations is
4 −5 −4 : 9
(2 4 1 : 4)
3 −1 −5 : 0
4 −5 −4 : 9
~ (2 4 1 : 4 ) ; using 𝑅3 → 4𝑅3 − 3𝑅1
0 11 −8 : −27
4 −5 −4 : 9
~ (0 13 6 : −1 ) ; using 𝑅2 → 2𝑅2 − 𝑅1
0 11 −8 : −27
4 −5 −4 : 9
~ (0 13 6 : −1 ) ; using 𝑅3 → 13𝑅3 − 11𝑅2
0 0 170 : 340
Therefore,
4𝑥 − 5𝑦 − 4𝑧 = 9
13𝑦 + 6𝑧 = −1
170𝑧 = 340
Using Back-substitution, we get the values as follows:
𝑧 = 2, 𝑦 = −1, 𝑥 = 3.

Exercise Questions for Regular Practice (For Students)

1. Solve the system of equations by Gauss elimination method:
2𝑥 − 𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 9,
𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 = 6,
𝑥 − 𝑦 + 𝑧 = 2.
Answer. 𝑥 = 1, 𝑦 = 2, 𝑧 = 3.
2. Solve the system of equations by Gauss elimination method:
10𝑥 + 𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 13,
3𝑥 + 10𝑦 + 𝑧 = 14,
2𝑥 + 3𝑦 + 10𝑧 = 15.
Answer. 𝑥 = 1, 𝑦 = 1, 𝑧 = 1.

3. Solve the system of equations by Gauss elimination method:

3𝑥 + 6𝑦 + 𝑧 = 16,
2𝑥 + 4𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 13,
𝑥 + 3𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 9.

Answer. 𝑥 = 1, 𝑦 = 2, 𝑧 = 1.

4. Solve the system of equations by Gauss elimination method:

9𝑥 + 7𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 6,
5𝑥 − 𝑦 + 4𝑧 = 1,
3𝑥 + 5𝑦 + 𝑧 = 2.

Answer. 𝑥 = 1 , 𝑦 = 0, 𝑧 = −1.

5. A diet is to contain at least 4 units of carbohydrates, 3 units of fat and 4 units of protein.
Three foods 𝑥, 𝑦 and 𝑧 are available. A unit of food 𝑥 contains 3 units of carbohydrates,
1 units of fat and 1 units of protein. A unit of food 𝑦 contains 1 unit of carbohydrates, 2
units of fat and 2 units of protein. A unit of food 𝑧 contains 2 units of carbohydrates, 1
units of fat and 3 units of protein. Using Gauss elimination, find the solution of the system
of equations:

3𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 = 4,

𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 3

2𝑥 + 𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 4

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