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Solving Systems of Linear Equations Symbolically

Every day of the year, thousands of airline ights crisscross the United
States to connect large and small cities. Each ight follows a plan led with air trafc control before take-off. The ight paths of airplanes are not straight lines from take-off to landing. But parts of those paths are generally straight-line segments. At any hour of the day, the pattern of ight plans might look like the diagram below.
y AA 29

0S 314

FA 12

WC 19 SB 5 x

The diagram seems to show many potential mid-air collisions. Why do you think such disasters almost never occur? What information about ight paths is not shown on the diagram? If planned ight paths are represented by equations, an air-trafc control system can calculate intersection points and warn of possible collisions. The equations for the ights in the diagram are shown in the table. In this problem, you will explore a simplied air-trafc control system. You will ignore the height above the ground and time and consider only whether the ight paths of two planes intersect. These intersection points tell you which parts of the ight paths controllers need to examine more carefully to prevent collisions.

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4.1

The y mx b Case

The equations for the ight paths can be used to calculate the nine
intersection points shown on the graph.

Getting Ready for Problem 4.1

A table of equations for the ight paths is at the right. To nd the intersection of WC 19 and AA 29, you need to nd the (x, y) pair that satises the system of linear equations below. (The bracket is a special notation used to indicate a system of equations.) y 5 0.3x 2 2 b y 5 1.5x 2 0.4 Jeff writes the following to solve this system.
Flight Paths
Airline/Flight
Apex Airlines Flight AA 29 We-Care Air Flight WC 19 Open Sky Airlines Flight OS 314 Fly Away Airlines Flight FA 12 Sky Bus Airlines Flight SB 5 y y y y y

Equation
1.5x 0.3x 0.3x 0.4x 2x 0.4 2 5 9.5 14

0.3x 2 = 1.5x 0.4 1.2x = 1.6 x = 1.6 1.2 x=4 3

Explain Jeffs reasoning. What does x = 2 4 tell you? 3 How can you nd the y-coordinate of the intersection point?

Problem 4.1 The y mx b Case

A. Write and solve systems to nd the intersections of these ight plans. 1. WC 19 and SB 5 3. SB 5 and FA 12 2. SB 5 and AA 29 4. FA 12 and AA 29

B. Study the work you did in Question A. Describe a strategy for solving any system of this form shown below.

y 5 ax 1 b y 5 cx 1 d C. What could an air-trafc controller do if two ight plans intersect?

Homework starts on page 59.
Investigation 4 Solving Systems of Linear Equations

53

4.2
b

The ax by c Case

When a system of linear equations is in y = mx + b form, it is easy to write a single linear equation with the same solution as the system.
y 5 ax 1 b becomes ax + b = cx + d. y 5 cx 1 d

Getting Ready for Problem 4.2

The equations in a linear system are not always given in y = mx + b form. In this problem, youll consider systems of this form: ax 1 by 5 c b dx 1 ey 5 f

Suppose the solution to a situation requires you to nd values of x and y that satisfy the system: 3x 2 y 5 30 b x 1 y 5 14

One useful strategy for solving a linear system is to rewrite the equations in familiar equivalent forms.

Write each equation in y = mx + b form. Then, nd a solution using the method you learned in Problem 4.1. Write each equation in x = ky + c form. Then, nd a solution. Are the solutions the same? Why might you expect both methods to give the same solution?

Problem 4.2 Solving Systems by Writing Equivalent Forms

A. Decide whether it is easier to write each equation in equivalent y = mx + b form or equivalent x = ky + c form. Then, write each equation in the form you chose. 1. x + y = 3 3. 2x + y = -1 5. 9x + 6y = 12 2. x - y = -5 4. x - 2y = 8 6. -x + 4y = 10

7. In parts (1)(6), how did you decide which form to use?

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The Shapes of Algebra

B. Solve each system by writing the equations in y = mx + b or x = ky + c form and then using the strategy from Problem 4.1. 1. b 3. b

x1y53 x 2 y 5 25 x 1 6y 5 15 2x 1 4y 5 5

2. b

C. Look back over your work from Question B. 1. What do you notice about the systems that makes this method a good one to use? 2. Describe the steps needed in using this method to solve a system. D. 1. What does it mean for two equations to be equivalent? 2. What does it mean to solve a linear system? Homework starts on page 59.

4. b

3x 2 y 5 30 x 1 y 5 14 x 2 y 5 25 22x 1 2y 5 10

4.3

Solving Systems by Substitution

Writing the equations in a linear system in y = mx + b or x = ky + c

form is not always easy. Sometimes the arithmetic becomes messy. For example, consider how you would solve this system. 3x 2 y 5 5 b 2x 1 5y 5 28 Solve both equations for y to get y = mx + b form. 3x - y = 5 2x + 5y = -8
8 5

-y = 5 - 3x y = 3x - 5
8 5

5y = -8 - 2x y=- - x
2 5 2 5

Set the right sides of the equations equal. 3x - 5 = - - x 15x - 25 = -8 - 2x 17x = 17 x=1 In this problem, youll look at another solution method that is easier in many cases.

Investigation 4 Solving Systems of Linear Equations

55

Getting Ready for Problem 4.3

Check the reasoning in this method of solving a system of linear equations by substitution and see if you can explain why it works.
1. The system b

2. From that fact, any solution should satisfy 2x + 5(3x - 5) = -8. Why is this equation an advantage over the two-equation system? 3. Solving this single equation for x, you get:

3x 2 y 5 5 y 5 3x 2 5 is equivalent to the system b 2x 1 5y 5 28 2x 1 5y 5 28.

2x + 15x - 25 = -8 17x = 17 x=1

4. Then y = 3(1) - 5 = -2. 5. The ordered pair (1, -2) satises both equations in the original system:

3(1) - (-2) = 5 So (1, -2) is the solution.

2(1) + 5(-2) = -8

Does this strategy produce the only solution for both equations in the original system? Why? Which solution strategy do you think is easier for this system, writing the equations in y = ax + b form and setting them equal or using substitution? Why?

Problem 4.3 Solving Systems by Substitution

A. Use substitution to solve each system. 1. b 4. b

2x 1 y 5 21 x 2 2y 5 12 3x 1 y 5 4 6x 1 2y 5 7

2. b 5. b

B. You may have been puzzled by the solution to two of the systems in Question A. Complete parts (1) and (2) for each of these two systems. 1. Graph the two lines to see if you can make sense of the situation. 2. Write both equations in y = mx + b form to see if this helps you understand the results.

3x 1 2y 5 10 x 1 y 5 13 6. b 26x 2 4y 5 220 x2y52

4x 1 2y 5 6 23x 2 7y 5 1

3. b

x 2 y 5 25 2x 1 4y 5 10

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C. 1. Decide whether writing in equivalent form or substituting would be easier for solving the system. Then, solve the system. a.

2. For each system, explain why you chose the solution method. Homework starts on page 59.

4x 1 y 5 6 23x 1 y 5 1

b. b

2x 1 y 5 3 23x 1 7y 5 1

4.4

Solving Systems by Combination

You have already developed some useful strategies for solving a simple linear equation like 3x + 5 = 10. You know that you can add or subtract the same quantity on both sides and preserve equality. The same is true for multiplication or division. These ideas, called the Properties of Equality, can help you develop another method for solving linear equations. This method involves combining separate linear equations into one equation with only one variable.

Getting Ready for Problem 4.4

These steps show the combination method for solving b If x - y = 4 and x + y = 5, then (x - y) + (x + y) = 4 + 5 2x = 9 x = 4.5 x+y=5 4.5 + y = 5 y = 0.5 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

x2y54 x 1 y 5 5.

Give reasons for steps 15. Why is adding the two original equations an advantage? Would subtracting the two original equations work just as well?

Investigation 4 Solving Systems of Linear Equations

57

Problem 4.4 Solving Systems by Combination

A. Use the combination method to solve these linear systems. 1. b

2x 1 4y 5 3 x 1 2y 5 5

B. 1. Explain why System B is equivalent to System A.

2. Rewriting System A as System B is a possible rst step in solving the system by the combination method. Complete this solution process by combining the two equations in System B. C. 1. Add the two equations in System A. Graph both equations in System A and the new equation you made by adding. What do the three equations have in common? 2. Graph System B and the new equation you made by adding. What do the three equations have in common? 3. Why does the graph you made with System B and the new equation help to solve the system? D. In parts (1) and (2), write an equivalent system that is easy to solve by combining equations. Then nd the solution. Check your work by solving the system with a different method. 1. b

System A

2. b

2x 1 3y 5 4 5x 1 3y 5 28

3x 1 2y 5 10 4x 2 y 5 6

System B

3. b

2x 2 3y 5 4 5x 2 3y 5 7

3x 1 2y 5 10 8x 2 2y 5 12

2x 1 2y 5 5 3x 2 6y 5 12 b b
b. b

E. 1. Decide whether equivalent form, substitution, or combination would be easiest for solving the system. Then, solve the system. a. d.

2. b

x 1 3y 5 4 3x 1 4y 5 2
c. b

2x 1 y 5 5 x 1 2y 5 5 e. b 24x 2 2y 5 210 3x 1 6y 5 15 2. For each system in part (1), explain how you decided which solution method to use.

2x 1 y 5 5 3x 2 y 5 15

x 1 2y 5 5 x 2 6y 5 11

2x 1 6y 5 7 3x 2 2y 5 5

F. Two of the systems in Question E did not have single solutions. How could you have predicted this before you started to solve them? Homework starts on page 59.

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The Shapes of Algebra