Solving systems of

equations using
matrices

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

x ! 3y = 4
2x + 5y = !3

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

x ! 3y = 4
2x + 5y = !3

Eqn 2 - 2 Eqn 1

x ! 3y = 4
11y = !11

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

x ! 3y = 4
2x + 5y = !3
x ! 3y = 4

Eqn 2 - 2 Eqn 1
1/11 Eqn 2

11y = !11
x ! 3y = 4
y = !1

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

x ! 3y = 4
2x + 5y = !3
x ! 3y = 4

Eqn 2 - 2 Eqn 1
1/11 Eqn 2

11y = !11
x ! 3y = 4
y = !1
x

Eqn 1 + 3 Eqn2

=1
y = !1
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

x ! 3y = 4
2x + 5y = !3
"1 !3 4 %
$
'
$#2 5 !3'&

Augmented
matrix for system
of equations

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

x ! 3y = 4
2x + 5y = !3
"1 !3 4 %
$
' R2 ! 2R1
$#2 5 !3'&

5 2(3) = 11

"1 !3 4 %
$
'
$#0 11 !11'&

3 2(4) = 11

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

x ! 3y = 4
2x + 5y = !3
"1 !3 4 %
$
' R2 ! 2R1
$#2 5 !3'&

1
R2
11

"1 !3 4 %
$
'
$#0 11 !11'&

"1 !3 4 %
$
'
$#0 1 !1'&

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

x ! 3y = 4
2x + 5y = !3

"1 !3 4 %
$
' R2 ! 2R1
$#2 5 !3'&
1
R2
11

"1 !3 4 %
$
'
$#0 11 !11'&

"1 !3 4 %
#1 0 1 &
$
' R1 + 3R2 %
(
"
$0 1 1'
$#0 1 !1'&
x =1

This notation indicates that Row

1 is being added to 3 ! Row 2 to
produce a new Row 1.

y = !1

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Legal types of row operations

7R2
R3 ! 3R1
R2 " R3

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Example
x + y + 4z = 2
2y + 5z = 4
3x + 2y + 4z = -7
Augmented matrix
for system

#%1
%0
%
%$3

2&(
4((

-7('

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Strategy

!* * * *$
!1 * * *$
#
& ........... #
&
'(#* * * *&
#* * * *& '
#"* * * *&%
#"* * * *&%

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Strategy

!* * * *$
!1 * * *$
#
& ........... #
&
'(#* * * *&
#* * * *& '
#"* * * *&%
#"* * * *&%

#1 * * *&
(
........... %
!
!"%0 * * *(
%$0 * * *('

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Strategy

!* * * *$
!1 * * *$
#
& ........... #
&
'(#* * * *&
#* * * *& '
#"* * * *&%
#"* * * *&%

#1 * * *&
#1 * * *&
( ........... %
(
........... %
!
!"%0 * * *( !
!"%0 1 * *(
%$0 * * *('
%$0 * * *('

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Strategy

!* * * *$
!1 * * *$
#
& ........... #
&
'(#* * * *&
#* * * *& '
#"* * * *&%
#"* * * *&%

#1 * * *&
#1 * * *&
( ........... %
(
........... %
!
!"%0 * * *( !
!"%0 1 * *(
%$0 * * *('
%$0 * * *('
#1 0 * *&
(
........... %
!
!"%0 1 * *(
%$0 0 * *('
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Strategy

!* * * *$
!1 * * *$
#
& ........... #
&
'(#* * * *&
#* * * *& '
#"* * * *&%
#"* * * *&%

#1 * * *&
#1 * * *&
( ........... %
(
........... %
!
!"%0 * * *( !
!"%0 1 * *(
%$0 * * *('
%$0 * * *('
#1 0 * *&
#1 0 * *&
( ........... %
(
........... %
!
!"%0 1 * *( !
!"%0 1 * *(
%$0 0 * *('
%$0 0 1 *('
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

#1 0 0 ?&
(
...........%
!!
!"%0 1 0 ?(
%
(
0
0
1
?
%$
('

Read off answers from this matrix

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Example
x + y + 4z = 2
2y + 5z = 4
3x + 2y + 4z = -7

Augmented matrix
for system

#%1
%0
%
%$3

2&(
4((

-7('

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Example

R 3 ! 3R1

#%1
%0
%
%$3

2&(
4((

-7('

#%1 1 4
2&(
%0 2 5
(
4
%
(
%$0 -1 -8 -13('

Need to do a row operation to

convert this 3 to 0.
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Need to
make this
into a 1.

1
R2
2

#%1 1 4
2&(
%0 2 5
(
4
%
(
%$0 -1 -8 -13('
2&(
#%1 1 4
%
(
5
%0 1
2(
%
(
2
%
(
%$0 -1 -8 -13('
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Next step
is to make
these into
zeros.

2 &(
#%1 1 4
%
(
5
%0 1
2(
%
(
2
%
(
%$0 -1 -8 -13 ('

R1 ! R2
R3 + R2

!
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
"

1
0
0

3
0
2
5
1
2
-11
0
2

!
0 ##
#
#
2 #
#
#
-11 #
"

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

#
%1
%
%
We want %0
%
a 1 here
%
%
%0
$
!
#1
#
#
!2
R3 ##0
11
#
#
#0
"

0
1
0

0
1
0

3
2
5
2
" 11
2

3
2
5
2
1

&
0 (
(
(
2 (
(
(
(
11
" (
'
$
0&
&
&
2 &&
&
&
2&
%

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Next step
is to make
these into
zeros.

3
R1 " R3
2
5
"
R2
R3
2

!1 0 3 / 2 0 $
#
&
#0 1 5 / 2 2 &
#
&
1
2 &%
#"0 0
"1 0 0 !3%
$
'
$0 1 0 !3'
$
'
$#0 0 1 2 '&
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

#%1 0 0 -3 &(
%
(
%0 1 0 -3 (
%$0 0 1 2 ('
Once we get to
this form, we can
simply read off the
solution to the
original system of
equations.

x = 3
y = 3
z=2
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

#%1 0 0 -3 &(
%
(
%0 1 0 -3 (
%$0 0 1 2 ('
x = 3
y = 3
z=2

x + y + 4z = 2
2y + 5z = 4
3x + 2y + 4z = !7

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Imagine the following situation:

"1 0 5 !3%
$
'
$0 1 2 8 '
$
'
$#0 0 0 4 '&

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

"1 0 5 !3%
$
'
$0 1 2 8 '
$
'
0
0
0
4
$#
'&

We want
a 1 in
this spot

There is no row operation that can be

done which will put a 1 in this spot
without messing up the first two
columns.
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

This row indicates

that no solution is
possible because it
represents the
equation:
0x + 0y + 0z = 4

"1 0 5 !3%
$
'
$0 1 2 8 '
$
'
0
0
0
4
$#
'&

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

"1 0 5 !3%
$
'
$0 1 2 8 '
$
'
0
0
0
0
$#
'&
If the bottom row looked like this, then there
would be infinitely many solutions. The first 2
rows represent the equations:
x + 5z = 3 , y + 2z = 8
For example, x = 3, y = 8, z = 0 or x = 8, y =
6, z = 1. (You can put in any value you like for z
and solve for x and y.)
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

How do you choose your row operations?

Suppose you had come to this point in solving a
system of equations. How do you make these
entries into zeros?

"1 !2 3 2%
$
'
$0 1 !4 7'
$
'
0
5
3
2
$#
'&

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

How do you choose your row operations?

Suppose you had come to this point in solving a
system of equations. How do you make these
entries into zeros?

"1 !2 3 2%
$
'
$0 1 !4 7'
$
'
0
5
3
2
$#
'&

R1 + 2R2
R3 ! 5R2
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

How do you choose your row operations?

Suppose you had come to this point in solving a
system of equations. How do you make these
entries into zeros?

"1 !2 3 2%
$
'
$0 1 !4 7'
$
'
0
5
3
2
$#
'&

R1 + 2R2
R3 ! 5R2
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

How do you choose your row operations?

Suppose you had come to this point in solving a
system of equations. How do you make these
entries into zeros?

Making use of
the 1 that has
already been
created in this
position.

"1 !2 3 2%
$
'
$0 1 !4 7'
$
'
0
5
3
2
$#
'&

R1 + 2R2
R3 ! 5R2
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Heres an example of when you would

need to switch two rows:

"1 !2 3 2%
$
'
$0 0 !4 7'
$
'
3 2'&
$#0 5
We need to produce a 1 in this position.

COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE

Heres an example of when you would

need to switch two rows:

"1 !2 3 2%
$
'
$0 0 !4 7'
$
'
3 2'&
$#0 5
We need to produce a 1 in this position.
R 2 ) R3 is the row operation needed
COPYRIGHT 2006 by LAVON B. PAGE