Dept of E&C Engg, NITK Surathkal

EC 224 - M ATHEMATICS FOR E & C E NGG

P RACTICE P ROBLEM S ET 1
This problem set is for practice only. The solutions need NOT be submitted
1. Verify that if ad bc 6= 0, then the system of equations
ax + by = x1
cx + dy = x2
has a unique solution.
2. Determine the values of k such that the linear system
9x + ky = 9
kx + y = 3
has A. no solutions

B. infinitely many solutions

C. a unique solution.

3. An n n matrix is called idempotent if A = AA = A. Suppose that A and B are two n n idempotent matrices.
Show that if AB = BA, then the matrix AB is idempotent.
4. Explain why a linear system can never have exactly two different solutions. Extend your argument to explain the
fact that if a system has more than one solution, then it must have infinitely many different solutions.
5. By solving a 3 3 system, find the coefficients in the equation of the parabola y = x2 + x + that passes
through the points (1, 1), (2, 2) and (3, 0).
6. Is it possible for any parabola defined by y = x2 + x + to pass through four points (0, 1), (1, 3), (2, 15) and
(3, 37)? Justify your answer.
7. There may be lots of chemistry haters in the class... But just try this out!
Balance the chemical equation MnS + As2 Cr10 O35 + H2 SO4 HMnO4 + AsH3 + CrS3 O12 + H2 O
8. Show that, if the homogenous system Ax = 0 has trivial solution, the non-homogeneous system Ax = b has only
unique solution.
9. Let S = {v1 , v2 , . . . , vn , } be a linearly independent set. If the scalars c1 , c2 , . . . , cn are such that v =

n
X

ck vk ,

k=1

then show that the scalars are unique.

2

a
0
1
10. Determine for which nonzero values of a the vectors 0 a and 0 are linearly independent.
1
2
1








1 0
1 1
0 1
a b
11. Let M1 =
, M2 =
, M3 =
. Obtain all matrices
, that can be written as linear
1 1
2 1
1 0
c d
combination of M1 , M2 , M3 .
12. If c1 and c2 are columns that represent the particular solutions of the same homogeneous system, prove that the
sum c1 + c2 must also represent a solution of this system.
13. Suppose that A is the coefficient matrix for a homogeneous system of four equations in six unknown and suppose
that A has at least one non zero row.
(a) Determine the fewest number of free variables that are possible
(b) Determine the maximum number of free variables that are possible.
Should we say Happy times solving the questions?!!!
- Alan & Raags!