MATH 1057

Linear Algebra Dr K Kobindarajah

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1.2 Gauss Elimination and Gauss-Jordan Elimination

In Section 1.1 we introduced three operations that lead to change

the given system of linear equations into raw-echelon form to use
back substitution to solve the system. In this section, you will study
this procedure more thoroughly, beginning with some definitions.
The first is the definition of a matrix.
Definition of a Matrix

The entry 𝑎𝑖𝑗 is located in the 𝑖 th row and the 𝑗 th column. The index 𝑖 is called the row subscript because
it identifies the row in which the entry lies, and the index 𝑗 is called the column subscript because it
identifies the column in which the entry lies.
A matrix with 𝑚 rows and 𝑛 columns is of size 𝑚 × 𝑛. When 𝑚 = 𝑛, the matrix is square of
order 𝒏 and the entries 𝑎11 , 𝑎22 , 𝑎33 , … , 𝑎𝑛𝑛 are the main diagonal entries.

NOTE: Plural of Matrix is Matrices

Examples of Matrices
Augmented Matrix and Coefficient Matrix

One common use of matrices is to represent systems of linear equations. The matrix derived
from the coefficients and constant terms of a system of linear equations is the augmented
matrix of the system. The matrix containing only the coefficients of the system is the
coefficient matrix of the system.

Example
When forming either the coefficient matrix or the augmented matrix of a system, you
should begin by aligning the variables in the equations vertically. For example,
Elementary Row Operations and Gauss Elimination

The operations that we performed in the section 1.1 to reduce the system of linear equations
to get an equivalent system to use the back substitution is, in terms of matrix, called
elementary row operations and the process is called Gauss Elimination.
Some examples of Elementary Row Operations
a)

b)

c)
Example 1
Solve the following system of linear equation using Elementary Row Operations

Solution
…..
Now, using back-substitution we get 𝑥 = 1, 𝑦 = −1, and 𝑧 = 2.

Note that the last matrix in the above Example is in row-echelon form. To be in this form, a
matrix must have the properties listed below.

Row-Echelon Form (REF)

Examples The following matrices are in row-echelon form
a)

b)

The following matrices are not in REF

c) d)
Reduced Row-Echelon Form (RREF)
A matrix is in reduced row-echelon form if it satisfies the following:
1. In each row, the left-most nonzero entry is 1 and the column that contains this 1has all other entries
equal to 0. This is called the leading one
2. The leading 1 in the second row or beyond is to the right of the leading 1 in the row just above.
3. Any row containing only 0’s is at the bottom.
NOTE: A matrix in row-echelon form is in reduced row-echelon form when every column that has a
leading 1 has zeros in every position above and below its leading 1.
Examples
1 3 0 4 0 1 0 5
a) The matrices 0 0 1 0 and 0 0 1 3 are in RREF.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 1 0
b) The matrices 0 0 1 , , and are not in RREF (Why?)
1 0 0
Gauss Elimination with Back-Substitution

Gaussian elimination with back-substitution works well for solving systems of linear
equations by hand or with a computer. For this algorithm, the order in which you
perform the elementary row operations is important. Operate from left to right by
columns, using elementary row operations to obtain zeros in all entries directly
below the leading 1’s.
Example 2 (Using Gauss Elimination with Back substitution)
Solve the following system

Solution
…..
…..
…..
Remark
When solving a system of linear equations using Gauss elimination process, if, at some stage of the
process, you obtain a row of all zeros except for the last entry, then it is unnecessary to continue the
process. Simply conclude that the system has no solution or is inconsistent.

Example 3 Solve the following system

Solution
…..
…..
Gauss-Jordan Elimination
We use Gaussian elimination process to a matrix to obtain a (row-equivalent) row-echelon
form. A second method of elimination, called Gauss-Jordan elimination after Carl Friedrich
Gauss and Wilhelm Jordan (1842–1899), continues the reduction process until a reduced row-
echelon form is obtained. The following Example demonstrates this procedure.

Example 4
Solution
In Example, we used Gauss Elimination to obtain row-echelon form

Now, rather than using back-substitution, apply elementary row operations until you obtain
a matrix in reduced row-echelon form. To do this, you must produce zeros above each of the
leading 1’s, as follows.
…..
The elimination procedures described in this section can sometimes result in fractional
coefficients. For example, in the elimination procedure for the system

you may be inclined to first multiply Row 1 by ½ to produce a leading 1, which will
result in working with fractional coefficients. Sometimes, judiciously choosing which
elementary row operations you apply, and the order in which you apply them, enables
you to avoid fractions.

NOTE: No matter which elementary row operations or order you use, the reduced row-
echelon form of a matrix is the same.
Please refer the text for solving a system with infinitely many solutions.
Homogeneous Systems of Linear Equations

Remark
A homogeneous system of three equations in the three variables 𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , and 𝑥3 has the
trivial solution 𝑥1 = 0, 𝑥2 = 0, and 𝑥3 = 0
.
A homogeneous system must have at least one solution. Specifically, if all variables in
a homogeneous system have the value zero, then each of the equations is satisfied.
Such a solution is trivial (or obvious).

Example 5
Solve the following system of homogeneous system of linear equations
Solution
Note
In the above Example, we began with two equations in three variables and discovered that the
system has an infinite number of solutions. In general, a homogeneous system with fewer
equations than variables has an infinite number of solutions, as stated in the following Theorem.
Theorem (The Number of Solutions of a Homogeneous System)
Every homogeneous system of linear equations is consistent. Moreover, if the
system has fewer equations than variables, then it must have an infinite
number of solutions.
1.3 Applications of Systems of Linear Equations

Systems of linear equations arise in a wide variety of applications. In this section you
will look at two applications, and you will see more in subsequent chapters. The first
application shows how to fit a polynomial function to a set of data points in the plane.
The second application focuses on networks and Kirchhoff’s Laws for electricity.
Polynomial Curve Fitting
Example 1
Solution
Example 2

Solution
…..
Network Analysis
Networks composed of branches and junctions are used as models in such fields as
economics, traffic analysis, and electrical engineering. In a network model, you assume that
the total flow into a junction is equal to the total flow out of the junction. For example, the
junction shown below has 25 units flowing into it, so there must be 25 units flowing out of
it. You can represent this with the linear equation.
Each junction in a network gives rise to a linear equation, so you can analyze the flow
through a network composed of several junctions by solving a system of linear equations.
Following Example illustrates this procedure.

Example 3
Set up a system of linear equations to represent the network shown in the following Figure.
Then solve the system.
Solution
……
We may be able to see how the type of network analysis demonstrated in Example 3could be used in
problems dealing with the flow of traffic through the streets of a city or the flow of water through an
irrigation system.

An electrical network is another type of network where analysis is commonly applied. An analysis of
such a system uses two properties of electrical networks known as Kirchhoff’s Laws.
1. All the current flowing into a junction must flow out of it.
2. The sum of the products IR (I is current, and R is resistance) around a closed path is equal to the
total voltage in the path.

In an electrical network, current is measured in amperes, or amps (A), resistance is measured in ohms
(Ω, the Greek letter omega), and the product of current and resistance is measured in volts (V). The
symbol represents a battery. The larger vertical bar denotes where the current flows out of the
terminal. The symbol denotes resistance. An arrow in the branch shows the direction of the
current.
Example 4 (Analysis of Electrical Network)
Determine the currents 𝐼1 , 𝐼2 , and 𝐼3 for the electrical network shown in the following Figure.

Solution
…..
Please refer the textbook for further examples