Systems of Linear

Equations
Prepared by: Engr. Jessica B. Castillo
Linear Equation in
Two Unknowns
An equation of the form
𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐 = 0
where a, b, and c are real constants such that
both a and b are nonzero, is called an
equation of the first degree because the
unknowns in the equation are each of the first
degree. It is also called a linear equation in
two unknowns because its graph is a straight
line.
It is evident that a linear equation in two
unknowns has infinitely many solutions. Thus,
it is called an indeterminate equation.
A pair of linear equations in two variables,
having one common set of values for the
variables or solution is called a system of
linear equations (in this case, in two
variables) or a set of simultaneous linear
equations. Thus, to solve a system of linear
equation in two variables means to find all the
ordered pairs of real numbers that will satisfy
both equations at the same time. Each of
these ordered pairs is called a solution or
root of the system. The set of all solutions is
called the solution set of the system.
Algebraic Method of
Solving Two Linear
Equations
Linear Combination Method or Elimination Method

Solving simultaneous equations by elimination involves the

following steps:
1. Multiply either or, if necessary, both of the given equations
by properly chosen numbers to obtain equations having the
coefficients of one variable equal in absolute value.
2. Subtract one equation from the other if these like
coefficients have the same sign. Add the equations if they
have different signs.
3. Solve the resulting equation in one unknown.
4. Substitute the value thus obtained in either of the given
equations to obtain the value of the other unknown.
5. Check the values obtained by substituting them in
both equations.
Example: Solve the following systems.
1. 3𝑥 − 5𝑦 = 11
2𝑥 + 𝑦 = 3

2. 2𝑥 − 5𝑦 = 9
4𝑥 − 3𝑦 = −3

3. 3𝑥 + 4𝑦 = 6
5𝑥 − 3𝑦 = −19
The equations in the system
𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑏1 𝑦 = 𝑐1 (1)
𝑎2 𝑥 + 𝑏2 𝑦 = 𝑐2 (2)
are dependent if the coefficients of the variables and the
constant in equation (1) are proportional to the coefficients of
the variables and the constant in equation (2); that is,
𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑐1
= =
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2
and inconsistent if only the coefficients of the variables in
equation (1) are proportional to the coefficients of the variables
in equation (2); that is,
𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑐1
= ≠
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2
Example
Determine whether the solution set is a point, infinite,
or the empty set.

1. 2𝑥 − 3𝑦 = 5
6𝑥 − 9𝑦 = 15
2. 3𝑥 + 4𝑦 = −7
6𝑥 + 8𝑦 = 10
Substitution Method

Solving systems of linear equations in two unknowns by

substitution involves the following steps:
1. Express one of the unknown quantities in terms of the other
in one of the equations.
2. Substitute the result in the other equation and solve the
resulting equation in one unknown.
3. Substitute the value thus obtained in one of the given
equations to find the value of the other unknown.
4. Check the value obtained by substituting them in both
equations.
Example: Solve the following systems.
1. 5𝑥 − 6𝑦 = 4
3𝑥 − 𝑦 = 5
2. 5𝑥 + 6𝑦 = 5
3𝑥 − 8𝑦 = 3
3. 4𝑥 − 9𝑦 = 3
12𝑥 − 27𝑦 = 9
4. 2𝑥 + 4𝑦 = 7
3𝑥 + 6𝑦 = 8
Solving Two Linear Equations Involving Fractions

Systems of linear equations containing fractions with numerical

denominators can be solved by first clearing the equations of
fractions and then solving by any of the methods previously
discussed.

Example 1
Solve
𝑥 𝑦 7
+ = (1)
2 3 6
𝑥 𝑦
− =3 (2)
5 2
Simultaneous equations having fractions with variables in the
denominators may be solved without clearing the equations of
fractions.

Example 2
Solve
2 4 4
+ = (1)
𝑥 𝑦 3

5 1 13
− = 2
𝑥 𝑦 −6
Systems of Linear
Equations in Three
Unknowns
As a general rule, to find the solution of a system of
equations (neither dependent nor inconsistent), the
number of unknowns must be equal to the number of
equations, i.e., for problems involving two variables, two
equations are necessary; for three unknowns, three
equations, and so on.
To solve a system of linear equations in three unknowns,
perform the following steps:
1. Choose a pair of equations from the three equations
and eliminate one of the variables from the pair, say x,
to obtain an equation in two variables.
2. Choose another pair of equations and eliminate the
same unknown to obtain a second equation in the
same two variables.
3. Solve the two resulting equations for the two variables.
4. Substitute the values obtained in any one of the original
equations, and solve for the third variable.
5. Check the solution by substituting the values obtained
in the three equations.
Example: Solve the following systems.
1. 2𝑥 + 3𝑦 − 𝑧 = −1
3𝑥 − 4𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 14
5𝑥 − 2𝑦 − 3𝑧 = 6

3 4 2
2. + + =1
𝑥 𝑦 𝑧
2 2 5 8
− + =
𝑥 𝑦 𝑧 3
4 3 4 17
− + = −
𝑥 𝑦 𝑧 12
Solving Systems of
Linear Equations
Using Determinants
A determinant is a square array of numerals enclosed by
vertical bars.
𝑎1 𝑏1
𝑎2 𝑏2
The numbers 𝑎1 , 𝑎2 , 𝑏1 and 𝑏2 are called the entries (or
elements) of the determinant. The number of (horizontal)
rows and the number of (vertical) columns of entries in the
representation of a determinant determine its dimensions.
For example, the determinant indicated above is called a
two-by-two (2 x 2) determinant or a determinant of order
two because it has two rows and two columns of elements.
The value of the determinant of order two is defined
as 𝑎1 𝑏2 − 𝑎2 𝑏1 . It is obtained by subtracting the
product of the entries on the secondary (ascending)
diagonal from the lower left to the upper right from the
product of the entries on the principal (descending)
diagonal from the upper left to the lower right.
The equations 𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑏1 𝑦 = 𝑘1 and 𝑎2 𝑥 + 𝑏2 𝑦 = 𝑘2 can
be solved as shown below.

𝑘1 𝑏1
𝑘2 𝑏2 𝑏2 𝑘1 − 𝑏1 𝑘2
𝑥= =
𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑎1 𝑏2 − 𝑎2 𝑏1
𝑎2 𝑏2
𝑎1 𝑘1
𝑎2 𝑘 2 𝑎1 𝑘2 − 𝑎2 𝑘1
𝑦= =
𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑎1 𝑏2 − 𝑎2 𝑏1
𝑎2 𝑏2
where 𝑎1 𝑏2 − 𝑎2 𝑏1 ≠ 0.
Example: Solve the following systems using
determinants.
1. 3𝑥 − 2𝑦 = 7
5𝑥 − 3𝑦 = 11
2. 5𝑥 + 6𝑦 = 5
3𝑥 − 8𝑦 = 3
For the system
𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑏1 𝑦 + 𝑐1 𝑧 = 𝑘1
𝑎2 𝑥 + 𝑏2 𝑦 + 𝑐2 𝑧 = 𝑘2
𝑎3 𝑥 + 𝑏3 𝑦 + 𝑐3 𝑧 = 𝑘3
𝐷𝑥 𝐷𝑦 𝐷𝑧
the values of the unknowns will be 𝑥 = , y= , and z = ,
𝐷 𝐷 𝐷
where 𝐷 ≠ 0 and

𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑐1 𝑘1 𝑏1 𝑐1
𝐷 = 𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2 𝐷𝑥 = 𝑘2 𝑏2 𝑐2
𝑎3 𝑏3 𝑐3 𝑘3 𝑏3 𝑐3

𝑎1 𝑘1 𝑐1 𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑘1
𝐷𝑦 = 𝑎2 𝑘2 𝑐2 𝐷𝑧 = 𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑘2
𝑎3 𝑘3 𝑐3 𝑎3 𝑏3 𝑘3
The determinants of order three are expanded as follows:
1. Rewrite the first two columns after the third column.
𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑐1 𝑎1 𝑏1
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2 𝑎2 𝑏2
𝑎3 𝑏3 𝑐3 𝑎3 𝑏3
2. Take the product of the entries along each diagonal arrow
as shown below.

3. Subtract the products found in the ascending arrows from

the products found in the descending arrows. The
difference gives the determinant D.
𝐷 = 𝑎1 𝑏2 𝑐3 + 𝑏1 𝑐2 𝑎3 + 𝑐1 𝑎2 𝑏3 − (𝑎3 𝑏2 𝑐1 + 𝑏3 𝑐2 𝑎1 + 𝑐3 𝑎2 𝑏1 )
Example: Solve the following systems using
determinants.
1. 2𝑥 − 3𝑦 + 4𝑧 = 13
3𝑥 + 7𝑦 − 2𝑧 = −8
5𝑥 + 4𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 7
2. 4𝑥 − 5𝑦 − 8𝑧 = 9
5𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 19
2𝑦 − 5𝑧 − 16 = 0
Applied Problems

Verbal problems involving two or more unknowns

sometimes do not give an explicit statement of the
relation between the unknown quantities. In such
cases, a simpler approach may be to use two or more
different letters to translate the conditions of the
problem into algebraic symbols which will lead to a
system of equations.
Example 1.
Commodity A can be produced by using 5 units of labor
and 7 units of land. Commodity B can be produced by
combining 8 units of labor and 3 units of land. If the prices
of commodities A and B are P49 and P62, respectively,
find the rent R and wages W. The price of any product is
divided among the various factors needed in the process
of manufacturing, namely, land, labor, and capital. The
wage rate of labor is designated by W and the rent for land
by R. The shares of the factors in the product add up to
the price of the commodity since there is no profit.
Example 2.
A two-digit number is five times the sum of its digits. The
given number is 9 less than the number expressed by the
same digits in reverse order. What is the number?
Example 3.
Two years ago a man is six times as old as his daughter.
In 18 years he will be twice as old as his daughter.
Determine their present ages.
Example 4.
Tank A contains a mixture of 10 gallons water and 5
gallons pure alcohol. Tank B has 12 gallons water and 3
gallons alcohol. How many gallons should be taken from
each tank and combined in order to obtain an 8 gallon
solution containing 25% alcohol by volume?
Example 5.
James has a total of P200,000 to invest and wants to earn
a total of P4,900 in annual simple interest. He decides to
spread the money into three different investments. James
will invest in a REIT, which pays 3%, a bond fund, which
pays 2.5%, and a savings account, which pays 1.5%. If he
invests P80,000 less in the savings account than the sum
of the other two accounts, how much was invested at each
rate?