Matrix Solution of Linear Systems

A matrix (plural: matrices) is a rectangular array of numbers arranged in rows and columns and enclosed in brackets. Each number in the matrix is called an element of the matrix. Each of the following is an example of a matrix:

We are going to look at a technique for solving linear systems of equations using matrices. A matrix derived from a linear system of equations, each in standard form, is called the augmented matrix of the system. The augmented matrix for a linear system is a matrix with the systems variables and equal signs eliminated. For example: System x 2y z = 2 2x y = 4 -x + y 2z = -4 Each row of the augmented matrix represents one equation of the system. In each row, the coefficient of x is in the first column, the coefficient of y is in the second column, the coefficient of z is in the third column, and the constant is in the fourth column. Notice that if there is a missing term, as the "z" term in the second equation, a zero represents its coefficient in the augmented matrix. Matrix Row Transformations For any augmented matrix of a system of linear equations, the following row transformations will result in the matrix of an equivalent system: 1. Any two rows may be interchanged. 2. The elements of any row may be multiplied (or divided) by the same nonzero number. 3. Any row may be changed by adding to its elements a multiple of the corresponding elements of another row. To solve a system of equations using the augmented matrix, we will use matrix row transformations to convert the augmented matrix into triangular form. Augmented Matrix

A matrix is in triangular form if there are 1s down the main diagonal and 0s below the diagonal. The following matrix is in triangular form:

The system of equations represented by this matrix is: x + Ay + Bz = C y + Dz = E z=F The system is easily solved from this form. To solve a linear system using matrix row transformations, we begin with the augmented matrix. We then use row transformations to obtain an equivalent matrix with 1s down the diagonal and 0s below the diagonal. We will proceed column by column from left to right. In each column, we will start by obtaining a 1 in the diagonal position; then obtain 0s below the 1. This method is called the Gauss-Jordan method. Example. Solve: x + y z = -2 2x y + z = 5 -x + 2y + 2z = 1 Solution. We begin by writing the system as an augmented matrix

We already have a 1 in the diagonal position of first column. Now we want 0s below the 1. The first 0 can be obtained by multiplying row 1 by -2 and adding the results to row 2 : Row 1 is unchanged: -2 times row 1 is added to row 2 Row 3 is unchanged The second 0 can be obtained by adding row 1 to row 3:

Row 1 is unchanged Row 2 is unchanged Row 1 is added to Row 3 Moving to the second column, we want a 1 in the diagonal position (where there is now 3). We get this by dividing every element in row 2 by -3: Row 1 is unchanged Row 2 is divided by 3 Row 3 is unchanged To obtain a 0 below the 1 , we multiply row 2 by -3 and add it to the third row: Row 1 is unchanged Row 2 is unchanged -3 times row 2 is added to row 3 The last step is to obtain a 1 on the diagonal in column 3. We divide each element in Row 3 by 4 to accomplish this: Row 1 is unchanged Row 2 is unchanged Each element in Row 3 is divided by 4 Converting back to a system of equations, we have x + y z = -2 y z = -3 z=2 We have z = 2. To find y, we back-substitute 2 for z in the second equation: y z = -3 y 2 = -3 y = -1

Finally, we back substitute -1 for y and 2 for z in the first equation: x + y z = -2 x + (-1) 2 = -2 x 3 = -2 x=1 The solution is the ordered triple (1, -1, 2). Example. Solve: 3x 4y + 4z = 7 x y 2z = 2 2x 3y + 6z = 5 Solution: Start with the augmented matrix:

To obtain a 1 in the top position of the first column, interchange rows 1 and 2:

To get 0s below the 1: multiply row 1 by -3 and add to row 2; multiply row 1 by 2 and add to row 3

To get a 1 in the diagonal position in the second column, multiply row 2 by 1:

Add row 2 to row 3:

Row 3 represents the equation 0 = 0 which is always true. This indicates that the system is dependent and has infinitely many solutions. Row 2 represents the equation y 10z = -1. Solving this equation for y gives us y = 10z 1. Row 1 represents the equation x y 2z = 2. Substitute 10z 1 for y and solve for x: x (10z 1) 2z = 2 x 10z + 1 2z = 2 x 12z + 1 = 2 x = 12z + 1 Therefore, every ordered triple of the form (12z + 1, 10z 1, z) is a solution of the system.