Module 2: Linear Systems with Three Variables

Linear Algebra

Linear Systems with Three Variables – In this section we will work a couple of quick examples
illustrating how to use the method of substitution and method of elimination introduced in the
previous section as they apply to systems of three equations.

This is going to be a fairly short section in the sense that it’s really only going to consist of
a couple of examples to illustrate how to take the methods from the previous section and use
them to solve a linear system with three equations and three variables.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, you should be able to:

1. enumerate the appropriate steps for solving three equations in three unknowns; and
2. solve simultaneous systems of three linear equations in three unknowns.

Learning Content

So, let’s get started with an example.

Example 1 Solve the following system of equations.

𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 7
2𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 = 4
−3𝑥 + 2𝑦 − 2𝑧 = −10

Solution We are going to try and find values of x, y, and a z that will satisfy all three equations at
the same time. We are going to use elimination to eliminate one of the variables from one of the
equations and two of the variables from another of the equations. The reason for doing this will
be apparent once we’ve actually done it.

The elimination method in this case will work a little differently than with two equations. As with
two equations we will multiply as many equations as we need to so that if we start adding pairs
of equations we can eliminate one of the variables.

In this case it looks like if we multiply the second equation by 2 it will be fairly simple to eliminate
the y term from the second and third equation by adding the first equation to both of them. So,
let’s first multiply the second equation by two.

𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 7 same 𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 7
2𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 = 4 𝑥2 4𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 8
−3𝑥 + 2𝑦 − 2𝑧 = −10 same −3𝑥 + 2𝑦 − 2𝑧 = −10

Now, with this new system we will replace the second equation with the sum of the first and
second equations and we will replace the third equation with the sum of the first and third
equations.

Here is the resulting system of equations.

𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 7
5𝑥 + 5𝑧 = 15
−2𝑥 + 𝑧 = −3

So, we’ve eliminated one of the variables from two of the equations. We now need to eliminate
either x or z from either the second or third equations. Again, we will use elimination to do this.
In this case we will multiply the third equation by -5 since this will allow us to eliminate z from
this equation by adding the second onto is.

𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 7 same 𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 7
5𝑥 + 5𝑧 = 15 same 5𝑥 + 5𝑧 = 15
(−2𝑥 + 𝑧 = −3) − 5 → 10𝑥 − 5𝑧 = 15

Now, replace the third equation with the sum of the second and third equation.

𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 3𝑧 = 7
5𝑥 + 5𝑧 = 15
15𝑥 = 30

Now, at this point notice that the third equation can be quickly solved to find that 𝑥 = 2 . Once
we know this we can plug this into the second equation and that will give us an equation that
we can solve for z as follows.

5(2) + 5𝑧 = 15
10 + 5𝑧 = 15
5𝑧 = 5
𝑧=1

Finally, we can substitute both x and z into the first equation which we can use to solve for y.
Here is that work.

2 − 2𝑦 + 3(1) = 7

−2𝑦 + 5 = 7
 −2𝑦 = 2

𝑦 = −1

So, the solution to this system is 𝑥 = 2, 𝑦 = −1, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧 = 1.

That was a fair amount of work and in this case there was even less work than normal because in each
case we only had to multiply a single equation to allow us to eliminate variables.

In the next section we’ll be looking at a third method for solving systems that is basically a shorthand
method for what we did in the previous example. The work using that method will be messy as well, but
it will be slightly easier to do once you get the hang of it.

In the previous example all we did was use the method of elimination until we could start solving for the
variables and then just back substitute known values of variables into previous equations to find the
remaining unknown variables.

Not every linear system with three equations and three variables uses the elimination method exclusively
so let’s take a look at another example where the substitution method is used, at least partially.

Example 2 Solve the following system of equations.

2𝑥 − 4𝑦 + 5𝑧 = −33
4𝑥 − 𝑦 = −5
−2𝑥 + 2𝑦 − 3𝑧 = 19

Solution
Before we get started on the solution process do not get excited about the fact that the second equation
only has two variables in it. That is a fairly common occurrence when we have more than two equations
in the system.

In fact, we’re going to take advantage of the fact that it only has two variables and one of them, the y, has
a coefficient of -1. This equation is easily solved for y to get,

𝑦 = 4𝑥 + 5

We can then substitute this into the first and third equation as follows,

2𝑥 − 4(4𝑥 + 5) + 5𝑧 = −33
−2𝑥 + 2(4𝑥 + 5) − 3𝑧 = 19

Now, if you think about it, this is just a system of two linear equations with two variables (x and z) and we
know how to solve these kinds of systems from our work in the previous section.

First, we’ll need to do a little simplification of the system.

 2𝑥 − 16𝑥 − 20 + 5𝑧 = −33 → −14𝑥 + 5𝑧 = −13
−2𝑥 + 8𝑥 + 10 − 3𝑧 = 19 → 6𝑥 − 3𝑧 = 9

The simplified version looks just like the systems we were solving in the previous section. Well, it’s almost
the same. The variables this time are x and z instead of x and y, but that really isn’t a difference. The work
of solving this will be the same.

We can use either the method of substitution or the method of elimination to solve this new system of
two linear equations.

If we wanted to use the method of substitution, we could easily solve the second equation for z (you do
see why it would be easiest to solve the second equation for z right?) and substitute that into the first
equation. This would allow us to find x and we could then find both z and y.

However, to make the point that often we use both methods in solving systems of three linear equations
let’s use the method of elimination to solve the system of two equations. We’ll just need to multiply the
first equation by 3 and the second by 5. Doing this gives,

(−14𝑥 + 5𝑧 = −13)3 → −42𝑥 + 15𝑧 = −39

(6𝑥 − 3𝑧 = 9)5 → 30𝑥 − 15𝑧 = 45
−12𝑥 =6

1
We can now easily solve for x to get 𝑥 = − . The coefficients on the second equation are smaller so let’s
2
plug this into that equation and solve for z. Here is that work.
1
6 ( ) − 3𝑧 = 9
2
−3 − 3𝑧 = 9
−3𝑧 = 12
𝑧 = −4

Finally, we need to determine the value of y. This is very easy to do. Recall in the first step we used
substitution and in that step we used the following equation.

𝑦 = 4𝑥 + 5

Since we know the value of x all we need to do is plug that into this equation and get the value of y.

1
𝑦 = 4 (− ) + 5 = 3
2

Note that in many cases where we used substitution on the very first step the equation you’ll have at this
step will contain both x’s and z’s and so you will need both values to get the third variable.

1
Okay, to finish this example up here is the solution : 𝑥 = − , 𝑦 = 3, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧 = −4.
2

As we’ve seen with the two examples above there are a variety of paths that we could choose to take
when solving a system of three linear equations with three variables. That will always be the case. There
is no one true path for solving these. However, having said that there is often a path that will allow you
to avoid some of the mess that can arise in solving these types of systems. Once you work enough of
these types of problems you’ll start to get a feel for a “good” path through the solution process that will
(hopefully) avoid some of the mess.

Interpretation of solutions in these cases is a little harder in some senses. All three of these equations in
the examples above are equations of planes in three dimensional space and solution to this system in the
examples above is the one point that all three of the planes have in common.

Note as well that it is completely possible to have no solutions to these systems or infinitely many
solutions as we saw in the previous section with systems of two equations. We will look at these cases
once we have the next section out of the way.

Teaching and Learning Activities

Find the solution to each of the following systems of equation.

1. 2𝑥 + 5𝑦 + 2𝑧 = −38
3𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 4𝑧 = 17
−6𝑥 + 𝑦 − 7𝑥 = −12

2. 3𝑥 − 9𝑧 = 33
7𝑥 − 4𝑦 − 𝑧 = −15
4𝑥 + 6𝑦 + 5𝑧 = −6

Learning Resources

The following resources on You Tube will help you enhance your understanding in solving linear system
with two variables.

a. [Link]
b. #Systemofequations #Algebraically #brianmclogan

Flexible Teaching and Learning Modalities

Online (synchronous)
Google Meet/ Zoom/ SEDI

Remote
Module 1. Linear Systems with Three Variables

Assessment Tasks

Solve the given linear system by the method of elimination.

1. 3𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧 = 2
4𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 2𝑧 = 8
𝑥−𝑦+𝑧 =4
 2. 2𝑥 + 4𝑦 + 6𝑧 = −12
2𝑥 − 3𝑦 − 4𝑧 = 15
3𝑥 + 4𝑦 + 5𝑧 = −8

3. Is there a value of r so that x = 1, y = 2, z = r is a solution to the following linear system? If there

is, find it.

2𝑥 + 3𝑦 − 𝑧 = 11
𝑥 − 𝑦 + 2𝑧 = −7
4𝑥 + 𝑦 − 2𝑧 = 12

References:

Bernard Kolman & David R. Hill. Introductory Linear Algebra with Applications. 7th Edition
Steven J. Leon. Linear Algebra with Applications Eighth Edition
Jörg Liesen Volker Mehrmann. Linear Algebra