Linear Equation

Any equation of the form p = 0, where p is a polynomial of degree one, is known as a linear equation. The
polynomial p can contain a single variable, two variables, or more than two variables. Some examples of
linear equations are given below:
3 2x  6
Single variable: x + =
2 5
Two variables: 2x  3y = 19
Three variables: 3x + 4y  z = 5

As a general rule, we need as many equations as the number of variables involved to find the unique
solution. Although solving linear equations is not tough, the harder part is to construct a linear equation
from the conditions posed in the problem. The most probable method is to assume the unknown quantities
given in the problem as variables and make the equation according to the given conditions. Let’s see some
linear equations with methods of solving them:

Single Variable

There are some number of coins on the table, one-fourth of which are showing heads. If I turn over two
coins, one-third of them show heads. How many coins are there on the table?

Answer: As the fraction of heads is increasing after turning over two coins, both the coins were previously
showing tails and are now showing heads. Let the total number of coins on the table be x. Therefore,
x
previously, the number of coins showing heads previously were and currently, the number of coins
4
x
showing heads are .
3
x x
 +2=  x = 24.
4 3

Steve Vai agreed to work one year for $45 000 plus a very expensive guitar. Steve quit after 7 months
and received $20 000 plus the guitar. How much was the guitar worth?

45000  x
Answer: Let the price of the guitar be x. Therefore, Steve’s monthly salary is and the salary for 7
12
7(45000  x) 7(45000  x)
months will be   20000  x  x = $15 000
12 12

The equation stating the relationship between the temperature reading in Celsius (C) and in Fahrenheit (F)
9C
is given as F   32 . What is the temperature at which the Celsius and Fahrenheit readings are the
5
same?

9x
Answer: Let the temperature reading be x. Therefore, x   32  x =  40.
5

Find the values of x which satisfy the equation 2x  1 = 4x + 3

Answer: If x = a, then x =  a  2x  1 =  (4x + 3)  2x  1 = 4x + 3 or 2x  1 = 4x  3  x = 2 or

1
 .
3

Note: After obtaining the values of x, we need to keep the values back in the equation to check if they
satisfy the conditions. We can check that both values satisfy the equation.

When asked the time of the day, a problem-posing professor answered, "If you add one-eighth of the time
from noon until now to one-quarter the time from now until noon tomorrow, you get the time exactly."
What time was it?

Answer: Let h (hours) denote the time interval from noon to now.
h (24  h) 1
  hh5 . Therefore, the time was 5: 20 pm.
8 4 3

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Two Variables

The general form of a linear equation in two variables x and y is ax + by + c = 0. A solution of such an
equation is a pair of values, one for x and the other for y. Note that a single linear in two variables has
infinitely many solutions in x and y. All these solutions are represented by points
on a straight line.

For example, the linear equation 5x + 6y  30 = 0 can be represented by a

straight line as shown in the adjacent figure. All the points lying on this line will
be the solution of the linear equation. The line intersects the x-axis at (6, 0) and
the y- axis at (0, 5). A single linear equation which has infinite solution is called
indeterminate equation. In an indeterminate equation, the integral values of x
lie in an arithmetic progression which has a common difference equal to the
coefficient of y and the integral values of y lie in an arithmetic progression which
has a common difference equal to the coefficient of x. For example, the integral values of x are 6, 12, 18,
24,… and so on and the corresponding integral values of y are 0, 5, 10, 15,… and so on.

If x and y are integers then the equation 5x + 19y = 64 has (CAT 2003)
1. no solution for x < 300 and y < 0 2. no solution for x > 250 and y >
–100
3. a solution for 250 < x < 300 4. a solution for –59 < y < –56

If we keep y = 1 in the equation, we get x = 9. Therefore, (9, 1) is a solution. Now, values of x will be in
an arithmetic series with a common difference of 19. Therefore, the values of x will be 9, 28, 47, 66…. The
values of y will be in an arithmetic progression with a common difference of 5. Therefore, the values of y
will be 1, 4, 9, 14…

We can see that there will be a solution for values of x between 250 and 300 whereas no integer value of
y falls between 56 and 59. Therefore, C.

As we said earlier, we need two linear equations to find solutions

in two variables, x and y. Therefore, we often study two equations
at the same time. When we do so, the equations under
consideration are called simultaneous equations. Having two
conditions mean having two sets of conditions. Finding a solution
means finding values of x and y which satisfy both the given
conditions. Therefore, by a common solution of two (or more)
equations in x and y, we mean a pair of values, one for x and the
other for y, which satisfy both (all) the equations simultaneously.
For example, the equations 5x + 6y  30 = 0 and x  4y + 4 = 0
can be represented by straight lines as shown in the adjacent figure. Their point of intersection P has
48 25 48 25
coordinates ( , ), i.e. x = and y = . It can be seen that the x and y values of P satisfy both the
13 13 13 13
equations. Hence, it is a common solution or the solution of the given simultaneous equations.

It is not necessary that if we have two equations for two variables we can always find a common solution.
Given two linear equations a1x + b1y + c1 = 0 and a2x + b2y + c2 = 0, we can have the following three
cases:

a1 b
Unique solution: the two lines intersect-  1
a2 b2
a1 b c
Infinite solutions: both the equations denote the same line-  1  1
a2 b2 c2
a b c
No solution: the two lines are parallel and therefore never intersect- 1  1  1
a2 b2 c2

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Which one of the following conditions must p, q and r satisfy so that the following system of linear
simultaneous equations has at least one solution, such p + q + r  0? (CAT 2003- leaked)
x + 2y  3z = p
2x + 6y  11z = q
x  2y + 7z = r

1. 5p  2q  r = 0 2. 5p + 2q + r = 0 3. 5p + 2q  r = 0 4. 5p  2q + r
=0

Answer: Eliminating z from the 1st and the 2nd equation and from the 2nd and the 3rd equation we get
5x + 4y = 11p  3q and
7q  11z
5x + 4y =
5
At least one solution means we can have infinite solutions. Applying the conditions of infinite solutions we
get
7q  11z
11p  3q =  5p  2q  r = 0
5

Let us see some solved examples for simultaneous equations in two variables:

Arthur ran in a race in his club. If one more runner had finished before him there would have been as
many people in front of him as behind him. But, if there had been one more runner finishing behind him,
there would have been three times as many behind him as in font of him. How many people took part in
the race and at what position did Shyam finish?

Answer: Let x persons finished in front of Shyam and y persons finished behind him. If one more person
finished ahead of him, there would have been one person less behind him.

According to the first condition, x + 1 = y  1  y = x + 2 --- (1)

According to the second condition y + 1 = 3 (x  1)  y = 3x  4 --- (2)

Equating (1) and (2) x + 2 = 3x  4  x = 3  y = 5.

Therefore, there were 3 persons ahead of Shyam and 5 persons behind him. Hence, 9 persons took part in
the race and Shyam finished 4th.

Shyam visited Ram during his brief vacation. In the mornings they both would go for yoga. In the
evenings they would play tennis. To have more fun, they indulge only in one activity per day, i.e. either
they went for yoga or played tennis each day. There were days when they were lazy and stayed home all
day long. There we 24 mornings when they did nothing, 14 evenings when they stayed at home, and a
total of 22 days when they did yoga or played tennis. For how many days Shyam stayed with Ram?

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Answer: Let x and y be the number of days they go for yoga and play tennis, respectively.
x + y = 22 --- (1)
There are some days when they do nothing both in the morning and in the evening.
24  x = 14  y (number of days when they did nothing should be
equal)
x  y = 10 --- (2)
Solving, we get x = 16 and y = 6. Also, the number of days when they did nothing = 24  x = 8.
Therefore, the number of days Shyam stayed with Ram = 16 + 6 + 8 = 30.

On a fence are sparrows and pigeons. When five sparrows leave, there remain two pigeons for every
sparrow. Then twenty-five pigeons leave, and there are now three sparrows for every pigeon. Find the
original number of sparrows.

Answer: Let the numbers of sparrows and pigeons be x and y, respectively. Therefore,
2(x  5) = y  2x  y = 10
Also, (x  5) = 3(y  25)  3y  x = 70.
Multiplying the second equation by 2 and adding it to the first equation, we get 5y = 150  y = 30  x =
20.

When I am as old as my father is now, I shall be five times as old as my son is now. By then my son will
be 8 yeas older than I am now. The combined ages of my father and myself are 100 years. How old is my
son?

Answer: Let my son’s age and my age be x and y, respectively. Therefore, my father’s age is 5x
5x + y = 100 --- (1)
Number of years I will take to reach my father’s age = 5x  y. In 5x  y years, my son’s age will become x
+ 5x  y
= 6x  y. It is given that 6x  y = y + 8  6x  2y = 8 --- (2)

Solving (1) and (2) we get x = 13 years.

Find a four-digit perfect square such that its first two digits are the same and its last two digits are the
same.

Answer: Let the square be of the form aabb. Its value = 1000a + 100a + 10b + b = 11(100a + b)
Now, 11(100a + b) is a perfect square which means that 100a + b is a multiple of 11.

100a + b = 99a + a + b  99a is a multiple of 11, therefore, a + b should be a multiple of 11  a + b =

11.

 11(100a + b) = 11(99a + a + b) = 11(99a + 11) = 121(9a + 1)  9a + 1 should also be a perfect

square

 a = 7  b = 4. Therefore, the square = 7744

A cheque was written for M rupees and N paisa, both M and N being two-digit numbers, but was
mistakenly cashed for N rupees and M paisa. The incorrect amount exceeded the correct amount by Rs
17.82. Then

1. M cannot be more than 70

2. N can be equal to 2M
3. the amount of the cheque cannot be a multiple of 5.
4. the incorrect amount can be twice the correct amount
5. the sum of the digits of the correct amount is divisible by 9.

Answer: In terms of paisa, the value of the correct amount will be N + 100M and that of the incorrect
amount will be
M + 100N  (M + 100N)  (N + 100M) = 1782  N  M = 18.

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Now assuming the conditions of all the options and checking, we see that only option 2 can be true. The
cheque can be for Rs 18.36.

Grass in lawn grows equally thick and in a uniform rate. It takes 24 days for 70 cows and 60 days for 30
cows to eat the whole of the grass.
How many cows are needed to eat the grass in 96 days?

Answer: Let the initial length of the grass be L. Let the grass grow by length D per day and let one cow eat
length C per day. The cows completely eat the initial length plus the grass grown in the given number of
days.

 70  C  24 = L + D  24 --- (1) and 30  C  60 = L + D  60 --- (2)

Subtracting (1) from (2) we get 120C = 36D  10C = 3D
 L = 1600C (from 1)
Let M number of cows are needed to eat in 96 days  M  C  96 = L + 96D = 1600C + 320C  M = 20
cows.

Some Special Cases in Linear Equations

Till now we have seen that to find a unique solution, we require as many equations as are the number of
variables. Sometimes, the number of equations given would be less than the number of variables. In these
cases, we might possibly be able to determine either the value of one or two variables (not all) or a
particular combination of variables. In some cases, the conditions given in the problem may give us unique
solution. The following examples will make it clear:

At a certain fast food restaurant, Brian can buy 3 burgers, 7 shakes, and one order of fries for Rs. 120
exactly. At the same place it would cost Rs. 164.5 for 4 burgers, 10 shakes, and one order of fries. How much
would it cost for an ordinary meal of one burger, one shake, and one order of fries? (CAT 2001)
1. Rs. 31 2. Rs. 41 3. Rs. 21 4. Cannot be determined

Answer: let’s make the equations first

3b + 7s + f = 120 -----(1)
4b + 10s + f = 164.5 – (2)

As we can see, the number of equations are less than the number of variables therefore, we cannot
determine the variables uniquely. But we have been asked a combination of variables (b + s + f) and this
we may be able to determine. Subtracting (1) from (2) we get
b + 3s = 44.5 – (3)
Multiplying (3) by 3 and subtracting it from (2) we get
b + s + f = 31

The numbers a, b, c, d and e satisfy the following conditions:

13a + 26b + 2c + 13d + 3e = 18
6a + 12b + c + 6d + e = 7
5a + 10b + c + 5d + e = 6
Find the value of e.

Answer: Again, we see that the number of variables are more than the number of equation. Therefore, we
cannot determine all the variables uniquely. But it may be possible to determine the value of some
variables. The equations can be written as
13(a + 2b + d) + 2c + 3e = 18
6(a + 2b + d) + c + e = 7
5(a + 2b + d) + c + e = 6.

Taking a + 2b + d as a single variable k, we get three equations in three variables which we can solve.
Therefore, we can find out the value of a + 2b + d, value of c and value of e. Solving, we get e = 3

TG has written integers from 1 to 9 in his notebook. If he adds extra m eights and n nines to the list, the
average of all the numbers written down is 7.3. Then the value of m + n is

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Answer: Total Value = Average  number of numbers  45 + 8m + 9n = 7.3 (9 + m + n)
 0.7m + 1.7n = 20.7  7m + 17n = 207

Although this equation has two variables and is an indeterminate equation, the condition imposed by the
problem can help us to find the unique solution. We can see that m and n will be positive integers. We can
see that only m = 15 and n = 6 satisfy the given equation. Therefore, m + n = 21.