System of Linear Equations
Gauss Elimination Method
Prerequisite knowledge for the lecture:
• Basic Row operations on a Matrix
• The Rank of a Matrix
• Row Echelon form
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Revision:
Elementary Row Operations:
• To interchange two rows of the matrix.
• To change a row by adding to it a multiple of another row.
• To multiply each element in a row by the same non-zero number.
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Revision:
Elementary Row Operations:
• To interchange two rows of the matrix.
• To change a row by adding to it a multiple of another row.
• To multiply each element in a row by the same non-zero number.
The Rank of a Matrix:
The number of non-zeros rows in the row Echelon form of a matrix is the rank of
the matrix.
We use elementary row operations to convert our matrix into the Row Echelon
form.
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Learning Outcome
By the end of this lecture students will be able to:
• Understand the use of Matrices in linear systems.
• Apply Elementary Row operations to solve a linear system.
• Evaluate all possible solutions of a linear system.
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Linear Equations
Linear Equations:
A linear equation in the variables is an equation of the form
where and are real constants.
Example:
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System of Linear Equations
Linear System:
A linear system in the variables is a collection of one or more
linear equations in these variables.
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System of Linear Equations
Linear System:
A linear system in the variables is a collection of one or more
linear equations in these variables.
Example of linear system:
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Solution of Linear System
Solution of Linear System:
Consider the linear system
(1)
………………………………………........
If, by taking, …… , each equation of the system remains balanced,
we say is a solution of system .
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Solution of Linear System
Solution of Linear System:
Example:
Note that, if we take both the equations are simultaneously satisfied. We say that
is a solution of .
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Solution of Linear System
Question: How did we get the solution to the system?
We used the substitution method:
From the first equation, we get substituting this into the second equation gives us
and further solving, we get
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Activity: Finding Solution
Solve the following systems using the Substitution Method:
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Solution of Linear System
Solve the following systems using the Substitution Method:
Note that, is a solution of the system. From first equation, we get .
Also, Putting this into second equation, we
are also solutions of the system. get,
Multiple Solutions. or . Which is absurd.
Hence No solution.
Note: The substitution method is easy, however not applicable in all systems
especially higher-order systems.
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Activity 1:
Think-Pair-Share
• How many solutions can a Linear
system have?
• Is it possible that a linear system does
not have any solution?
• Is it possible that a linear system has a
finite number of solutions?
• Is it possible that a linear system has
infinitely many solutions?
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General form of Linear System
Linear System:
The general form of a linear system with m equations in n
variables is
…… ……….
…. ……..
…… ……….
….
where and are fixed numbers
Schoolcalled parameters. A linear system
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System of Linear Equations
Matrix form of a Linear System:
The general form of a linear system with m equations in n
variables can also be written as
where ,
and
.
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System of Linear Equations
Activity 2:
Write the below Linear systems in the form
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Solution of General Linear System
…….
Consider a system
where is a matrix of order and is a vector of order vector.
We say is a solution of if
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Types of Solution
The solution of a Linear system can have three possibilities:
Unique Solution: Infinite Solution: No Solution:
There exists one and There exist infinitely There does not exist any
only one solution to the many solutions to the solution to the system.
linear system. linear system.
Ex: Ex: Ex:
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Activity 3: Group Activity
Visualizing Solutions
Note: Each equation in the given example is an equation of a line
in the XY- plane.
Can you plot these lines and visualize what a unique solution,
infinite solution and no solution look like?
Unique Solution: Infinite Solution: No Solution:
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Visual representation of Linear Systems
in 2 variables:
−2 𝑥+ 𝑦=3 −2 𝑥+ 𝑦=3 −2𝑥+𝑦=3
No Solution
Unique
Solution ?
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Types of Linear System
A Linear system can be divided into the following
categories:
Consistent Linear System Inconsistent Linear System:
A Linear system is called consistent if it A Linear system is called
has at least one solution. inconsistent if it does not have any
Ex: (1). Unique Solution solution.
(2) Infinite Solutions Ex:
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Solution of Linear System
The augmented matrix of a Linear system is denoted by
Ex: Consider a system of 3 equations in 3 variables,
Then the augmented matrix of the system is given by
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Solution of Linear System
Theorem 1:
Consider a system , with coefficient matrix and augmented
matrixVectors and are of size and mrespectively.
Below, we summarize the possibilities for solving the system:
• If rank(A) = rank([A|b])= Number of variables in the system, then
the system has a unique solution.
• If rank(A) = rank([A|b]) < Number of variables in the system, then
the system has infinitely many solutions.
• If rank(A) < rank([A|b]), then the system is inconsistent.
Note: We calculate rank using basic row operations, and these
operations do not change the solution of the system.
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Example(Non-Homogeneous system)
Ex: Consider a system of 3 equations in 3 variables,
Then the augmented matrix of the system is given by
.
From above and . Clearly, rank(A) < Rank ([A| ]), therefore above
system is inconsistent and hence no solution.
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Homogeneous Linear Systems
Homogeneous systems: A linear system is called a
homogeneous linear system if the vector .
For example:
Note: is always a solution of any homogeneous system.
This means at least one solution always exists for any
homogeneous system. Hence, all homogeneous systems
are consistent.
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Homogeneous Linear Systems
Theorem 2:
Let be an matrix. A homogeneous system of equations
will have a unique solution, the trivial solution , if and
only if (no. of variables).
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Homogeneous Linear Systems
Theorem 2:
Let be an matrix. A homogeneous system of equations
will have a unique solution, the trivial solution , if and
only if (no. of variables).
Problem: Find all solutions of the homogeneous system:
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Example(Homogeneous system)
Solution: The augmented matrix of the system is given by
Furthermore, using elementary row operations:
.
From above = < 3(No. of variables). Therefore, the
homogeneous system is consistent and has infinitely many
solutions.
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Example (Homogeneous system)
From the above-augmented matrix, our original system reduces to
Using the back substitution, we get and ; therefore
Taking (any constant), we get
Therefore, all the vectors that are multiple of will be solutions of
our homogeneous system, hence infinitely many solutions.
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Summary
1. A system can have the following possibilities for solutions:
• If rank(A) = rank([A|b])= Number of variables in the system, then
the system has a unique solution.
• If rank(A) = rank([A|b]) < Number of variables in the system, then
the system has infinitely many solutions.
• If rank(A) < rank([A|b]), then the system is inconsistent.
2. A homogeneous system is always consistent.
3. A homogeneous system will have a unique solution i.e. trivial
solution if and only if number of variables.
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Applications
Real-world applications:
Economics (Linear Programming, supply and demand models)
Engineering (Circuit analysis, Structural Analysis)
Computer Science (Machine Learning, Network flow problems)
Chemistry (Chemical Reactions, Stoichiometry)
Biology (Population Dynamics, Biochemical Reactions)
Transportation and Logistics (Traffic Flow, Supply Chain Management)
Medicine (Medical Imaging, Pharmacokinetics)
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Practice Questions
1. Let and then what is the value of (a + b)?
2. Let . Use the Gauss-Jordan elimination to find the inverse of A.
3. Find trace and determinant of the matrix 4
4. Solve the system of equations and by Gauss elimination method.
5. Find for what values of and the system of linear equations has
(i) a unique solution, (ii) no solution, (iii) infinite solutions.
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