Math 211-03 Spring 2026 Name:
Gauss-Jordan Elimination
Due: None!
Collaborators:
About the Activity:
The goal of this activity is:
• for you to practice working with matrices in reduced row-echelon form
• for you to practice using Gauss-Jordan elimination to solve linear systems
Directions:
For this activity, you’ll work in groups of 2-3 using the following methods:
• Part 1: I’ll give you about 10 minutes to think through all of these problems on your own;
then I will give you about 5-10 minutes to discuss with your group before we review the
solutions.
• Part 2:
– Problem 1: I’ll give you about 10 minutes to think through Problem 1 on your own.
Then we will review the solution together.
– Problem 2: We will do this pass the paper style. You will not work on this problem on
your own to begin! Instead, we’ll use the following method:
* The first person in the group will put the matrix in augmented form.
* The next person will do ONE elementary row operation to put it into RREF.
* Then the next person will do the next row operation.
* You’ll keep switching back and forth until the matrix is in RREF at which point you
will write the solution to the system together.
Reduced Row-Echelon Form
Definition: We say a matrix M is in reduced row-echelon form (RREF) if the following conditions
are met:
1. All nonzero rows are above any rows of all zeros.
2. Each leading entry of a row is in a column to the right of the leading entry of the row above
it.
3. All entries in a column below a leading entry are zeros.
4. The leading entry in each nonzero row is 1.
5. Each leading 1 is the only nonzero entry in its column.
Problem 1. For each of the following matrices, determine if they ae in RREF. Then:
• If the matrix is in RREF, list the pivot columns.
• If the matrix is not in RREF explain why not and what elementary row operation(s) you
would want to do to put it into RREF:
1 0 1 0 3 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
A = 0 1 2 0 4, B = 0 1 2 0 →2, C = 1 1 0 D = 0 1 □2 0
0 0 0 1 7 0 0 0 4 5 □
0 1 0 0 0 1 4
in RREF ·
C is not in RREF
·
A is
-
Row of all Os must be at
columns
-
the pivot bottom- can correct this by
aRE 1 2 4
doing R , R2 R2 #R3
.
,
then
·
B is not in RREF : -
need Os above pivot in 2nd
column . Can correct by doing
-leading entry of
R1 -
R2 t RI
4th Row not I ·
D is not in RREF
in 3rd
-
can correct
by -
need Os above pivot
doing Ry +
By column . can correct this by
doing R2-2R3 + R2
Problem 2. While we can put any matrix into reduced row-echelon form, for now we will be doing
it when the matrix is associated to a linear system. Suppose you have an augmented matrix for
a linear system. Explain what each of the RREF conditions mean in terms of the variables of the
system.
① of form 0 are at bottom of
any equations 0 =
system
②
leading variables have clear order : indices of the
leading
variables increase down the
as we
go system
③ the
leading variable of an
equation has been
eliminated from all other
equations
④ the coefficient of each
leading variable is I