In this video, I'm going to look at several examples of solving linear systems, different sorts of

linear systems. And throughout, there's one technique that we're going to use, and it's row
operations. Row operations is such a powerful technique that we can use it for so many different
types of linear system, as we'll see.

So our first example, I want to show that this system has infinitely many solutions, and I want to
find a formula for the general solution. Then we want to sort of look at a variant of this system in
which the number 11 in the third equation is replaced by the number two. And in that situation,
we want to show that there are no solutions.

So how do we solve this system? Well, we write down the augmented matrix, and we use row
operations to reduce that augmented matrix. So the augmented matrix is this first matrix in the
slide here, and we're going to reduce it as follows. So the first thing we do to get the first column
sorted out is we take row 2 and subtract two times row 1. And then we take row 3 and subtract
four times row 1.

And you can check the calculation, and it gives this matrix here. You'll notice straight away that
the second or third rows are equal. So if I do row 3 minus row 2, row 3 becomes all 0.

It follows from our general technique then that this is a system with infinitely many solutions
because of the 0 row at the bottom, and it's entirely equivalent to this system of just two
equations in the variables. And that's because the third equation really doesn't add anything. The
third equation is just 0 equals 0.

So there's infinitely many solutions in this case. And we can let the third variable x3 be anything
we like, call it r, any number. Then the second equation will be satisfied as long as 5x 2 minus 7x
3 is negative, which means x2 given that x3 is r must be 7r minus 9 divided by 5.

And then, from the very first equation, we can determine what x1 has to be in terms of r by
substituting in what x2 and x3 are in terms of the variable r. So the general solution is shown at
the bottom of the slide. Again, what this means then is that for each value of r, we have a
solution given by these values of x1, x2, and x3.

Now, let's ask ourselves, what happens if we replace the 11 by 2. So that means that the bottom
right entry in the augmented matrix is no longer 11, but it's 2. Now, you can see, in this
calculation here, if we replace the bottom right entry in the initial augmented matrix by the
number 2, then it's fairly easy to see what's going to happen if you follow the same sequence of
row operations is that you will end up with this matrix in which there is a negative 9 in the
bottom right entry.

Now this situation here in which we've got all zeros and then a non-zero number in a row is a
situation indicative of an inconsistent system because that last rule corresponds to the equation 0
equals negative 9, which is never satisfied regardless of the values of the variables x1, x2, x3.

So when you replace 11 in the initial system by 2, there are no solutions. Example 2. So this asks
us for which value of c is the following system of equations consistent, and when c has that
value, we need to find all the solutions.
So this looks a little bit different because there is a symbol here, c rather than a specific number,
but the technique of row operations still applies. We just have to be careful how we apply it. So
we start with the augmented matrix, which, of course, now has this symbol c in it rather than a
specific number. We perform row operations.

Now, the first two row operations are the obvious ones to get the first column sorted out, which
are row 2 minus 2 row 1. And you can check that gives this second rule. And then row 3 minus 4
row 1. Let's look at this a little bit carefully.

Row 3 minus 4 row 1, of course, gives us 0 in the bottom left position. That's why we subtracted
4 times row 1. Then the next entry will be 3 minus 4, which is negative 1. The next entry will be
4 minus 4, which is 0, and the next entry will be c minus 4 times 2 c minus 8.

So we just do row operations in the normal way. The fact that there's a symbol here c rather than
a specific number doesn't really change the way that we operate. How can we simplify this?
Well, I mean, one obvious thing we could do is multiply the second or third rows by negative 1
just to make things look a bit nicer. Then c minus 8 becomes 8 minus c.

Then finally, I'm going to subtract row 2 from row 3, and we end up with this matrix. And so
we're going to stop now and ask the question looking at this final matrix, when will that
correspond to a consistent system? Well, remember, it would be inconsistent if the final row was
0, 0, 0 then something non-zero.

So in order to be consistent, we need to have that 9 minus c is also 0. In other words, c is 9. So

the system is consistent only when c is 9 and we've asked to find-- the question asks us to find all
solutions in that case. So when c is 9, the matrix we're looking at, of course, as an all zero rule at
the bottom, and it's equivalent, therefore, to these two equations. x1 plus x2 plus x3 is 2, and x2
equals minus 1.

So this is a system with infinitely many solutions. We can set x3 to be anything we like. Let's
call it s. Then x2 is minus 1, and x1 is 2 minus x2 minus x3 which works out to be 3 minus s. So
the general solution when c is 9 is, therefore, in vector form. The vector 3 minus s minus 1 and s.
So each number s gives a solution, and all the solutions take this form for some number s.

Example 3. Suppose x, y, z satisfy these equations, where a is some number. Again, we have a
parameter here and undefined number that we have to work with. You use row operations to
determine x, y, z in terms of a and then answer the supplementary question. For what values of a
will x, y, z the solutions all be positive?

So again, there's no doubt what technique we're going to use. It's row operations. We start with
the augmented matrix, and we perform row operations. Again, just being a little bit careful
because we're dealing in places with the parameter a rather than a specific number.

So we do row 2 minus 2 row 1, which gives a 0 minus 1, a minus 2, and minus 5 minus a. Now,
let's just be clear where the minus 5 minus a comes from. We're doing row 2 minus 2 row 1, so
we're doing 3 plus a minus 2 times 4 plus a. We simplifies to give minus 5 minus a. Then we do
row 3 minus row 1, which gives us the final row here.
OK, what we're going to do next-- well, we can multiply the second row by negative 1, and we
can also then subsequently add two times the second row to the third, and we end up with this
final reduced matrix. And we stop there, and we write down the corresponding system.

Third equation tells us z is 2 plus a. So that is z in terms of a. The second equation tells us that y
is 5 plus a minus 2z, which we can write entirely in terms of a as 1 minus a. And then the first
equation tells us what x is in terms of a.

So these are the solutions in terms of the parameter a. So this is a system that for each value of a
does indeed have a solution, and the subsequent question was for which values of a will the
solutions all be positive.

Well, for x, y, and z all to be positive, we need the numbers 2 plus a, 1 minus a, and 1 plus a all
to be positive. Now 2 plus a positive means a is bigger than minus 2. 1 minus positive means a is
less than 1. 1 plus a positive means a is bigger than minus 1.

These three inequalities taken together are equivalent to saying that a is strictly between minus 1
and 1. You can see, for example, a being bigger than minus 2 is subsumed by the inequality a
bigger than minus 1. So really what we need is a less than 1 and a bigger than minus 1.

Example 4. Consider the following system of equations. Now, this is a complicated looking one.
There are actually two parameters in this system. There's a b on the right-hand side, and there's
an a coefficient in the third equation.

Use matrix methods to determine what values of a and b-- what values a and b must take if the
system is consistent and has infinitely many solutions? What must the value of a not be if the
system has precisely one solution? And what can be said about a and b if the system has no
solution? So a lot to look at here. So what we're going to do is we're going to use row operations,
of course, to explore the nature of the system and its solutions.

So the first thing to work with then is, of course, the augmented matrix. Now, there are two
symbolic entries here, a and b. But again, we just treat them as if they're numbers when we
perform row operations. So the first two row operations-- row 2 minus 3 row 1, row 3 minus row
1 lead us to this matrix here.

Now the next obvious thing to do is to do row 3 minus row 2 to get rid of the two in the second
position of the third row. And if we do that, we get this matrix here. OK, so let's stop at that
point. Why do I want to stop at that point? Why can't I simplify this matrix by dividing the third
row by a plus 5?

Well, I've got to be careful. I don't know that a plus 5 is a nonzero number because, if was equal
to minus 5, it would be 0, and that would be an illegal operation. We can't divide by 0. So I'm not
going to do that. I'm going to stop at this point.

What are the conclusions that we can draw from this matrix? So remember, if the last row was
entirely zeros, we'd have infinitely many solutions. If the last row was 0, 0, 0, then something
non-zero, we'd have an inconsistent system.
If the last row was 0, 0, then something non-zero, we'd have a unique solution. So let me spell
that out. The system will be consistent with infinitely many solutions precisely when the last row
is all zero, which means a is minus 5 and b is minus 8. It will have one solution when a plus 5 is
non-zero. We don't need any condition on b in that case as long as a plus 5 is non-zero, we'll
have a non-zero-- we'll have a unique solution.

When it would have no solutions is when a plus 5 is zero, but b plus 8 is not 0. In other words,
when a is negative 5 and b is negative-- is not equal to negative 8. Take a bit of time to make
sure you understand this. This is a very good example for encapsulating everything that we've
learned about such systems.

Example 5. Find the values of the numbers a and b. And again, a appears as one of the
coefficients, b as a number on the right if the following system has infinitely many solutions.
And find when a and b have these values, all the solutions.

So this is a system of four equations and four unknowns. So we start with this augmented matrix,
and we perform row operations. So the first set of operations is row 2 minus row 1. Row 3 minus
2 row 1, and row 4 minus 2 row 1. And that gives us this matrix here.

Then we reduce that further. We can divide the second row by 2, and then we can use that
second row in the obvious way to eliminate the entries that remain below that in the second
column. If this is a bit fast for you, just take your time and verify that this is how it works. And
then we can reduce that further as follows.

Now, what have I done here? Well, I've used the third row to eliminate the a minus 7. Take a
moment to make sure you understand what I've done there. So let's look at this system.

I could, by the way, tidied up even further. I could divide the third row by minus 2 to get a 1-- a
leading 1, but it's OK to leave it as is. Now this will have infinite many solutions when the final
rule is all zeros. And only in that situation.

If the number 3a minus 15 was non-zero, there would be just one solution. If 3a minus 15 was 0,
but a plus 2b minus 3 was not, then we'd have an inconsistent system. So what we need is we
need 3a minus 15 to be 0 and a plus 2b minus 3 to be 0 if we're to have infinitely many solutions.

And in that case, what that means is a is 5 and b is minus 1. And the corresponding matrix with
those values of a and b is this one. So what is the corresponding system of equations?

Well, there are infinitely many solutions, we can set the last variable w to be anything we like.
Let's call it t any number. Then the third row corresponds to the equation minus 2z plus 3w
equals 1. So solving this for z with w equal to t gives z equals 3 over 2t minus 1/2.

Then the second row will tell us what y is equal to. And finally, the first rule will tell us what x is
equal to in terms of the variable t. So all of these are very different sorts of examples, but the
point is in all of these situations, the row operations method explains what's happening. It tells us
the story.
We can work out whether there are no solutions, infinitely many solutions, in which case, we can
find them all or just one solution. And the row operations method always reveals what's
happening in a system.