A matrix is in a row echelon form if it satisfies all three of the following properties:

The higher up a leading entry is, the further to the left it is.

Any column with a leading entry has zeros below the leading entry.

Any zero row(s) is at the bottom of the matrix.

The pivot positions of a matrix are the locations of the leading entries in a row echelon form of that
matrix

Examples of matrices in row echelon form:

Examples of matrices that are not in row echelon form:

The elementary row operations are to

Row Reduced Echelon Form (RREF)

If a leading entry is the number 1, we call it a leading 1.

If a matrix is in a row echelon form, that is, satisfies properties (1.3) through (1.5), and also satisfies two
other properties,

The Gauss–Jordan method for solving a system of equations row reduces the augmented matrix to RREF

Example :

Use the Gauss–Jordan method to solve system