Numerical analysis project

Gauss Jordan
method
History
STEVEN C. ALTHOEN: I received my B.A. at Kenyon College and my Ph.D. in -
1973 at The City University of New York under the direction of Eldon Dyer. I would
like to thank Professor Stephen B. Maurer of Swarthmore College for preventing me
from crediting the wrong Jordan in my texts by relaying Tucker's observation. My
primary research interest is the classification of finite-dimensional real division
algebras.

RENATE MCLAUGHLIN: I did my undergraduate work in Germany and received

my Ph.D. in complex analysis (1968) at the University of Michigan under the
direction of Peter L. Duren. My primary research interest is still complex analysis. But
with two children in elementary school, I have also become interested in the
mathematics that goes on (or better: does not go on) in elementary classrooms.
History
The Gauss-Jordan method, so-called, seems to have been described first by Clasen . Since it can
be regarded as a modification of Gaussian elimination, the name of Gauss is properly applied,
but that of Jordan seems to be due to an error, since the method was described only in the third
edition of his Handbuch der Vermessungskunde prepared after his death.
Introduction
The Gauss-Jordan method, also known as Gauss-Jordan elimination method is used to solve a
system of linear equations and is a modified version of Gauss Elimination Method.
It is similar and simpler than Gauss Elimination Method as we have to perform 2 different
processes in the latter i.e.
1) Formation of upper triangular matrix, and
2) Back substitution
But in case of Gauss-Jordan Elimination Method, we only have to form a reduced row echelon
form (diagonal matrix). Below given is the flow-chart of Gauss-Jordan Elimination Method.

It is an algorithm for solving systems of linear equations. This method can also be used to
compute the rank of a matrix, the determinant of a square matrix, and the inverse of an
invertible matrix.
Objectives

The goal of the Gauss Jordan elimination process is to bring the matrix in a form for which the
solution of the equations can be found. Such a matrix is said to be in reduced row echelon form.
Advantages & Disadvantages

One advantage of Gauss-Jordan is that it will also give you the inverse of the matrix. Gauss-Jordan,
when pivoted, is a very stable algorithm.

Although the methods of Gauss-Jordan and Gauss elimination can look almost identical, the former
requires approximately 50% fewer operations. Therefore, the Gaussian elimination method is simple for
excellence in obtaining exact solutions to simultaneous linear equations. One of the main reasons for
including the Gauss-Jordan, is to provide a direct method for obtaining the inverse matrix.
Example:
MATLAB
Summary

The study has concluded that when performing calculations by hand,

Gauss-Jordan method is more preferable to Gaussian elimination version because it avoids the
need for back substitution. Besides, it was noted very remarkably that both Gauss elimination
method and Gaussian-Jordan elimination method gave the same answers for each worked
example and both with pivoting and partial pivoting equally gave the same answers.
This necessarily implies that since the system of linear equations still remains the same despite
that the equations are re-arranged leading to its matrix form to be transformed as the rows'
elements obviously changed, the resultant solutions are still the same.
Students' Names:
•Nada Alfaleh
•Deena Umairan
•Nourah Al-Tamimi
•Jude Abdulkareem
References:
• Williams, G. (2009). Linear Algebra With Applications. Jones and Bartlett (7th

ed.)