Mathematics Department,

Faculty of Basic Science, FTU

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Chapter 3
Systems of Linear Equations

• Instructor Dr. Son Lam

 CONTENTS
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I – Systems of Linear Equations

II – Homogeneous system
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Definition of a System of Linear equations.

A System of m linear equations in n unknowns has
the form:
 a11 x1 + a12 x2 + ⋅⋅⋅ + a1n xn = b1
a x + a x
 21 1 22 2 + ⋅⋅⋅ + a2 n xn = b2

 ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
am1 x1 + am 2 x2 + ⋅⋅⋅ + amn xm = bm

The quantities a11, a12, …, amn are called the coefficients of the
system.
The quantities b1, b2, …, bm are called the free or constant
terms of the systems.
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Definition of Homogeneous System.

A system is called homogeneous if all its constant terms b1, b2,
…, bm are equal to zero.

Definition of Nonhomogeneous System.

A system is called nonhomogeneous if at least one of the
constant terms b1, b2, …, bm is different from zero.

The solution of system is such a collection n of the numbers c1,

c2, …, cm which, being substituted into system for the
unknowns x1, x2, …, xn, turns all the equations of the system
into identities.
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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A system of linear equations has either:

1. no solution, inconsistent system
2. exactly one solution, or
consistent system
3. infinitely many solutions

Two linear systems are equivalent, if they have the same

solution set.

The basic strategy is to replace one system with an

equivalent system that is easier to solve.
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Definition of elementary reduction operation
An operation is called elementary reduction operation if it
transforms one system to equivalent system.

There are three elementary reduction operations .

1. Swapping: an equation is swapped with another.
2. Rescaling (multiplying by a scalar): an equation has both
sides multiplied by a nonzero constant.
3. Pivoting: an equation is replaced by the sum of itself and a
multiple of another.

Remark: We need to prove that above three operations are

elementary reduction operations.
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
x + y = 0

Solve the system: 2 x − y + 3z = 3
 x − 2y − z = 3

x + y = 0
−2r + r 
→
− r +r
1 2
 − 3 y + 3z = 3
 − 3y − z = 3
1 3


x + y = 0
− r2 + r3 
→  − 3 y + 3z = 3
 − 4z = 0

Solution: x = 1; y = -1; z = 0
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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1 1 0 

A = 2 −1 3 
coefficient matrix:  
1 2 −1

1 1 0 0
augmented matrix: 
A = 2 −1 3 3 
 
1 −2 −1 3
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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1 1 0 0 
2 −1 3 3
 
1 −2 −1 3

1 1 0 0 
−2r + r  0 −3 3 3 
→ 1 2

− r +r1  3 
 0 −3 −1 3 

− r +r  1 1 0 0 
→ 0 −3 3 3
2 3

 
 0 0 −4 0 
 I. System of Linear Equations

Definition of Basic and Free variable.

The variable corresponding to pivot columns in the matrix are
called basic variable.
The other variable is called free variable.

1 1 1 2 1  1 1 1 2 1 
 2 2 3 5 6  row operations 0 0 1 1 4 
   
 3 3 4 1 −1  0 0 0 −6 −8

x1, x3, x4: basic variables

x2: free variables
 I. System of Linear Equations

If the augmented matrices of two linear systems are row

equivalent, then the two systems have the same solution set.

The Kronecker Capelli Theorem

If r ( A | b ) ≠ r ( A ) , then the system AX = b is inconsistent.

If r ( A | b) = r ( A) , then the system AX = b is consistent.

If r( A | b) = r( A) = number of unknowns , then the system
AX = b has unique solution.

If r( A | b) = r( A) < number of unknowns , then the system

AX = b has many solutions.
 I. System of Linear equations
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Using Row Reduction to solve a linear system

1. Write the augmented matrix of the system.
2. Use the row reduction algorithm to obtain an equivalent
augmented matrix is echelon form. Decide whether the
system is consistent.

3. Write the system of equations corresponding to the matrix

4. Rewrite each nonzero equation from step 3 so that its one
basic variable is expressed in terms of any free variable
appearing in the equation.
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
The augmented matrix of a linear system has been transformed by
a row operations into the form below. Determine if the system
is consistent.

1 5 2 −6  1 1 1 −3
a.  0 4 −7 2  , b. 0 1 2 4  ,
   
 0 0 5 0  0 0 0 5 

1 1 −1 0  1 1 1 0 
c. 0 1 −2 5  , c. 0 3 −1 0  .
   
0 0 0 0  0 0 0 0 
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Solve the following system:

 x + 5 y + 2z = 1

− x − 4 y + z = 6
 x + 3 y − 3 z = −9

 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Solve the following system:
 y + z = 3

3 x + 5 y + 9 z = −2
 x + 2 y + 3z = 3

 I. Systems of Linear Equation
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Example
Find the general solution of the linear system

 3 x2 − 6 x3 + 6 x4 + 4 x5 = −5

3 x1 − 7 x2 + 8 x3 − 5 x4 + 8 x5 = 9
3 x − 9 x + 12 x3 − 9 x4 + 6 x5 = 15
 1 2

Basis variable: x1 , x2 , x5 Free variable: x3 , x4

 x1 = −24 + 2α − 3β
x = −7 + 2α − 2 β
 2
General Solution:  x3 = α
x = β
 4
 x5 = 4
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Find the general solutions of the systems whose
augmented matrix is given as below

 1 1 −1 1
 2 3 4 1
 
 3 4 −2 1
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Find the general solutions of the systems whose
augmented matrix is given as below

1 1 2 0
 2 1 5 0
 
 3 4 5 0 
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Find the general solutions of the systems whose
augmented matrix is given as below

1 1 1 −1 2 
2 1 3 0 1
 
3 4 2 −2 5 
2 
3 1 −1 3 

 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Find the general solutions of the systems whose
augmented matrix is given as below

1 1 2 1 0
2 3 −1 4 2
 
3 4 5 3 1
1 2 −3 −1 0 

 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Determine the value(s) m such that the matrix is the augmented
of a consistent linear system

m 1 1 1 
1 m 1 m ,
 2

 1 1 m m 
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Determine the value(s) m such that the matrix is the augmented
of a consistent linear system

1 1 1 1 
2 3 1 4 
 
 3 4 m m + 1
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Determine the value(s) m such that the corresponding
linear system has unique solution

1 1 1 1  1
2 1 3 −1 2 
 ,
3 4 2 0 6 
 −2 −1 
0 m m − 1

 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Determine the value(s) m such that the corresponding
linear system has unique solution

2 3 1 4 0 
 3 2 −1 5 7 
 2

 1 −1 m 1 m 
 II. Homogeneous Systems.
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Definition of Homogeneous System.

A system is called homogeneous if all its constant terms b1, b2,
…, bm are equal to zero.

The homogeneous system always has zero solution

x1 = x2 = … = xn = 0. This solution is called the trivial solution.

The homogeneous system always possesses a unique solution –

the trivial solution - if and only if rank (A) = n.
 II. Homogeneous Systems.
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The homogeneous system AX = 0 has nontrivial solution if and

only if rank (A) < n.

The homogeneous system AX = 0, where A is a square matrix,

has nontrivial solution if and only if det(A) = 0.
 II. Homogeneous Systems.
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Example
Determine the general solution for the following homogeneous
system.
 x1 + 2 x2 + x3 + 2 x4 = 0

2 x1 + 4 x2 + x3 + 3 x4 = 0
3x + 6 x + + 4 x4 = 0
 1 2 x3
 II. Homogeneous Systems.
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Example
Among all solutions that satisfy the homogeneous system
 x + 2y + z = 0

2 x + 4 y + z = 0
 x + 2y − z = 0


Determine those also satisfy the nonlinear constraint y – xy = 2z

 II. Homogeneous Systems.
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Example
If A is the coefficient matrix for a homogeneous system
consisting of four equations in eight unknowns and if there are
five free variables, what is rank (A)?

Example
Explain why a homogeneous system of m equations in n
unknowns where m < n must always possess an infinite number
of solutions.
 I. Systems of Linear Equations
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Example
Determine the value(s) m such that the homogeneous system has
nontrivial solution

x + y + z = 0

2 x + 3 y + 5z = 0
3 x + my + (m + 1) z = 0
