Created by T.

Madas

CONSISTENCY
OF
EQUATIONS

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 1 (***)
The system of simultaneous equations

x + 2y + z =1
2x + 3y + z = 3
3x + 4 y + z = k

where k is a scalar constant, does not have a unique solution, but is consistent.

a) Determine the value of k .

b) Show that the general solution of the system can be written as

 x  t +3 
   
 y  =  −t − 1  ,
z  t 
   

where t is a scalar parameter.

k =5

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 2 (***)
 2 5 3  x   2 
    
 1 2 2  y  =  4  .
 1 1 3  z  10 
    

Show that the above simultaneous equations …

a) … do not have a unique solution.

b) … are consistent and their general solution can be written as

 x  16 − 4λ 
   
 y =  λ −6 ,
z  λ 
   

where λ is a scalar parameter.

proof

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 3 (***)
The system of simultaneous equations

x + y + 2z = 2
x + 2y + z =2
2 x + ay + 5 z = b

where a and b are constants, does not have a unique solution, but it is consistent.

a) Determine the value of a and the value of b .

b) Show that the general solution of the system can be written as

 x   2 − 3t 
   
 y =  t ,
z  t 
   

where t is a parameter.

a =1 , b = 4

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 4 (***)

x + 2y + z =1
x + y + 3z = 2
3x + 5 y + 5 z = 4

Show that the solution of the above simultaneous equations is

x = 3 − 5t , y = 2t − 1 , z =t

where t is a parameter.

MM1E , proof

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 5 (***)

x + y + 2z = 2
2x − y + z = − 2
3x + y + 4 z = 2

Show, by reducing the augmented matrix of the above system of equations into row
echelon form, that the solution can be written as

x = −t , y = 2−t , z =t

where t is a scalar parameter.

SYNF-Q , proof

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 6 (***)
A system of equation is given in matrix form below

t 2 3  x   a 
    
 2 3 −t  y  =  b  ,
 3 5 t + 1 z   c 
    

where t is an integer constant, and a , b and c are real constants.

The system of equations does not have a unique solution, but it is consistent.

Show clearly that

a+b = c.

proof

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 Created by T. Madas

Question 7 (***)
A system of equations is given below in terms of the scalar parameters t and s .

2x + y + 3z = t + 1
5 x − 2 y + ( t + 1) z = 3
tx + 2 y + 4z = s

a) Show that if t = −5 or t = 2 , the system does not have a unique solution.

b) Determine the value of s is the system is to have infinite solutions with t = 2 .

s=4

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 8 (***)
The three planes defined by the equations

x + 2y + z = 2
2x + a y + z = 2
x + y + 2z = b

where a and k are constants, intersect along a straight line L .

Determine an equation of L .

SYNF-A , r = ( 6 − 3t ) i + ( t − 2 ) j + t k

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 9 (***)

x + y − 2z = 2
3x − y + 6 z = 2
6x + 5 y − 9z = k

a) Show that the system of equations does not have a unique solution.

b) Show that there exists a value of k for which the system is consistent.

c) Show, by reducing the system into row echelon form, that the consistent
solution of the system can be written as

x = 1− t , y = 3t + 1 , z =t

where t is a scalar parameter.

k = 11

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 10 (***)

3x − y + 5 z = 5
2 x + y − 5 z =10
x + y + kz = 7

where k is a constant.

a) Given that k ≠ −5 find the unique solution of the system of equations.

b) Given instead that k = −5 show, by reducing the system into row echelon form,
that the consistent solution of the system can be written as

x = 3, y = 5t + 4 , z =t.

x = 3, y = 4, z = 0

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 11 (***)
A system of equations is given below

x + 2y − z = 4
2x − y + z = 5
4 x − 7 y + 5z = 7

a) Show that the system does not have a unique solution but is consistent.

b) Show that the general solution of the system can be written as

 x  2−t 
   
 y  =  3 + 3t  ,
 z   4 + 5t 
   

where t is a parameter.

SYNF-N , proof

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 Created by T. Madas

Question 12 (***)

 9 2 k   x
   
A =  1 −1 −3  , x =  y .
 k −1 1 3  z
   

Consider the homogeneous system of simultaneous equations

Ax = 0

a) Find the values of k for which the system has a non trivial solution.

b) If k ≠ 0 find the general, non trivial solution of the system.

SYNF-L , k = 0, 6 , x = 0, y = −3λ , z = λ

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 13 (***)
Consider the system of simultaneous equations

kx + ky − z = −1
ky + 2 z = 2k
x + 2y + z = 1

where the constant k can only take the values 0 , 1 and 2 .

Determine for each of the possible values of k whether the system …

i. … has a unique solution

ii. … has no unique solution, but it is consistent.

iii. … is inconsistent.

k = 0  incosistent , k = 1  no unique solution/consistent ,

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 14 (***)

 k +1 1 k   x  2
     
A= 1 2 k, x =  y , b =  3 .
 2 k 1  z  2
    

Show that the system of equations Ax = b does not have a unique solution, but is
consistent if k = 1 , and its general solution in this case can be written as

 x  t 
   
 y  =  1+ t  .
 z  1 − 3t 
   

where t is a scalar parameter.

SYNF-J , proof

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 15 (***)
A system of equations is given below

2 1 3  x   5 
    
 1 −2 2  y  =  6  .
4 7 5    
  z   3 

Show that the system does not have a unique solution but is consistent and its general
solution can be written as

 x   −8t 
   
 y  =  t −1  ,
 z   5t + 2 
   

where t is a parameter.

SYNF-H , proof

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 16 (***)

 3 k −1  x   3 
    
 2k 1 0  y  =  1 
 1 −1 1  z   −2 
    

a) Determine the values of k for which the above system of equations does not
have a unique solution.

b) Show, that one of these values of k leads to inconsistency and the other
produces a general solution of the form

x = −t , y = 4t + 1 , z = 5t − 1

where t is a scalar parameter.

SYNF-F , k = −1, 2

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 17 (***)

1 2 2  x 1
     
A =  2 1 3 , x =  y , b =  3
4 5 7 z b
     

Show that the system of equations Ax = b does not have a unique solution, but for a
certain value of b is consistent and its general solution can be written as

 x   3 + 4λ 
   
 y =  λ 
 z   −1 − 3λ 
   

where λ is a parameter.

SYNF-C , proof

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 18 (***+)
Consider the following matrix equation

 k 1 0  x   a 
    
 3 −2 k − 3  y  =  b  ,
10k 3 −2    
  z  15 

where a , b and k are scalar constants.

a) Find the values of k for which the equation has a unique solution.

It is further asserted that k = 2 .

b) Express a in terms of b if the matrix equation is to be consistent.

c) Show that if a = 1 and b = 4 , the solution of the matrix equation is

 x   t + 1
   
 y  =  −2t − 1 ,
 z   7t + 1
   

where t is a scalar parameter.

SYNF-D , k ≠ 2 ∪ k ≠ 3 , 2a + 7b = 15
7

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 19 (***+)

x −2y + az = 5
( a + 1) x + 3y =a
2 x + y + ( a − 1) z = 3

a) Determine the two values of the constant a for which the above system of
equations does not have a unique solution.

b) Show clearly that the system is consistent for one of these values and
inconsistent for the other.

a = −1, 5
3

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 20 (***+)
A system of equations is given below

3 x + 2 y − z = 10
5 x − y − 4 z = 17
x + 5 y + pz = q

where p and q are constants.

a) Find the value of the constant p so that the system of equations does not have
a unique solution.

b) Show that for this value of p the system is consistent if q = 3 .

c) Show that the general solution of the system can be written as

r = 2i + j − 2k + λ ( 9i − 7 j + 13k ) ,

where λ is a scalar parameter.

p=2

Created by T. Madas
 Created by T. Madas

Question 21 (****)
A system of equation is given below

3 x − 2 y − 18 z = 6
2 x + y − 5 z = 25

a) Show, by reducing the system into row echelon form, that the solution of the
system can be written as

r = 8i + 9 j + λ ( 4i − 3j + k ) ,

where λ is a scalar parameter.

A new system is now given

3 x − 2 y − 18 z = 6
2 x + y − 5 z = 25
7 x + ky + 2 z = 20

where k is a constant.

b) Determine if the system has solutions for different values of k .

k ≠ 10  unique, otherwise incosistent

Created by T. Madas