SYSTEM OF LINEAR EQUATIONS

Prof. Dr. Shailendra Bandewar

 CLASSIFICATION OF SYSTEM OF LINEAR
EQUATIONS

A system of equations

a11 x1  a12 x2  ...  a1n xn  b1

a21 x1  a22 x2  ...  a2 n xn  b2
.
.
am1 x1  am 2 x2  ...  amn xn  bm
The above system of equation can be written in the matrix form as
 x1   b1 
x  b 
Ax  b, where A   aij  , x   2  , b   2 
mn . .
   
 n
x bm 
If b  0, then the system is called homogeneous.
If b  0, then the system is called nonhomogeneous.

Theorem : Homogeneous system of linear equation is always

consistent as one of the solution is x1  x2    xn  0
called as trivial solution.
Question is when homogeneous system has a non-trivial
(non-zero) solution ?
Consider the homogeneous system
Ax  0
 a11 a12 . a1n 
a a . a 
where A   21 22 2n 

 . . . . 
 
 am1 am 2 . amn 
If  ( A)  n, then system has a unique solution 
Trivial solution only.
If  ( A)  n, then system has nontrivial solution also
infinite number of solutions 
Number of Free variables in a solution:
If  ( A)  r  n, then n  r varables are free.
and non-pivote variables are free variables.
For example if ecelon form of A is
1 2 1 3   x1 
0 0 1 1   x2 
Ax  
0 0 0 0   x3 
   
0 0 0 0   x4 
Then x2 and x4 are non  pivote var iables
as they are not the multiples of pivote columns
Observations :
1. If Ax  0, is such that A is n  n matrix, i.e.
we have n  equations in n  unknowns,
then system will have nontrivial solution also iff
A  det( A)  0.
2. Trivial solution only iff A  det( A)  0.
3. for Amn x  0, and If m  n, then always have
nontrivial solution also (in this case at least n - m
variables are free).
 ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES (HOMOGENEOUS
SYSTEM OF LINEAR EQUATIONS)
Example 1 : Is the system have nontrivial solution, if it has find .
3x  4 y  z  6w  0; 2 x  3 y  2 z  3w  0;
2 x  y  14 z  9w  0; x  3 y  13z  3w  0.
Solution : This is a homogeneous sysyem of equation.
 it is always consistent.
 To check whether it has a non trivial solution are not
consider Ax  0
 3 4 1 6
 2 3 2 3
where A   
 2 1 14 9
 
 1 3 13 3 
Step 1: reduce A to echelon form
  3 4 1 6 
 2 3 2 3
A 
 2 1 14 9 
 
1 3 13 3
Step 1: reduce A to echelon form :
1 3 13 3
 2 3 2 3
R1  R3  A   
 2 1 14 9 
 
 1 3 13 3 
1 3 13 3 
0 9 24 9 
R2  2 R1 , R3  2 R1 , R4  R1  A   
0 5 40 15
 
 0 0 0 0 
  1  1
R2    , and R3    
 3  5
1 3 13 3 1 3 13 3
0 3 8 3 0 1 8 3
A   
R2  R3
 A 
0 1 8 3 0 3 8 3
   
0 0 0 0  0 0 0 0
1 3 13 3
0 1 8 3 
R3 3 R2
  A 
0 0 16 6 
 
0 0 0 0
 1 3 13 3 1 3 13 3 
0 1 8 3  R3   1  0 1 8 3 
A    16 
A 
0 0 16 6  0 0 1 3 / 8
   
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
 ( A)  3
 System has non trivial solution as  ( A)  3  no of unknowns
 number of free var iable is 1.
and w being non-pivote variable is a free variable
Equivalent system is
x  3 y  13z  3w  0
y  8 z  3w  0
3
z w0
8
 3
Let w  k  z   k ,
8
 3
y  8 z  3w  8     3k  3k  3k  0
 8
39 63
x  3 y  13z  3w  3(0)  k  3k   k
8 8
 63 
 8 k  63
   
Solution is x   0  k 0 

3  8  3 
 k   
 8   8 
 k 
Example 2: determine for real values of a so that the system of equations
have non-trivial solution

x+2y+3z=ax, 3x+y+2z=ay, and 2x+3y+z=az,

Solution : Consider the system

(1  a ) x  2 y  3z  0
3 x  (1  a ) y  2 z  0
2 x  3 y  (1  a ) z  0
Ax  0
this is a hom ogeneous system of linear equation
 has a non trivial solution iff
det( A)  A  0
 1 a 2 3
consider A  3 1  a 2 0
2 3 1 a
on expanding the determinent
a 3  3a 2  15a  18  0
 a  6 (only real root )
For a  6, the equivalent system is
 5 2 3   x 
   
Ax  0   3 5 2   y   0
 2 3 5  z 
  5 2 3  1 8 7 
A   3 5 2   R1  2 R2
A   3 5 2 
 2 3 5  2 3 5
1 8 7 
R2 3 R1 , R3  2 R1
 A  0 19 19 
0 19 19 
1 8 7 
 A  0
R3  R2
19 19 
0 0 0 

1 1 8 7 
 A  0 1 1
R2  
  19 

0 0 0 
as the  ( A)  2  3 ( No of var iables )
Equvalent system is
x  8y  7z  0
yz 0
Let z  k , y  k , x  k
k  1
   
 Solution is X   k   k 1 .
 k  1
Or by using Crammers rule
x y z
    k ( say )
1 1 1
x yzk
Example 3: show that the system of equations ax + by + cz = 0,
bx + cy + az = 0 and cx + ay + bz = 0 have a non trivial solution if
( i) a + b + c = 0 (ii) a = b = c and solve them completely.

Solution :Expressing in terms of matrix

a b c 

Ax  0, where A   b c a  
 c a b 
Reducing A into echelon form
R1  R2  R3 
 a  b  c a  b  c a  b  c 
A   b c a 

 c a b 
Here we come across two cases a  b  c  0
and a  b  c  0
we will discuss each case separately .
C ase I : Let a  b  c  0
1
R1 
abc
1 1 1 
A   b c a 
 c a b 
R 2  bR1 and R 3  cR1 
1 1 1 

A  0 cb a  b 
 0 ac b  c 
but for system to have nontrivial solution
at least one of the row has to be zero
a  c  0 and b  c  0  a  b  c
1 1 1 

 A  0 0 0 
0 0 0 
  ( A)  1  3  number of unknowns
 system has non  trivial solution and
2 variables are free
Equivalent system is
x yz 0
let y  s, z  t are free variables
 x   s  t , y  s, z  t
s  t   1  1
     
x   s   s  1   t 0 
 t   0  1 
Case II : Let a  b  c  0
0 0 0 
 A  b c a 
 c a b 
c a b 
R1  R3  A  b c a 
0 0 0 
 a b
1 c c
1  
let c  0, R1  A  b c a
c 0 0 0
 
 
R2  bR1 
 a b 
1 c c 
 
 b 
2
ab
A  0 c  a 
c c
 
0 0 0 
 
ab b2
Assuming c   0 and a   0
c c
i.e. ab  c and ac  b i.e a, b, c are
2 2

not in geometric progression

Equivalent system is
a b
x y z 0
c c
 ab   b 
2

c   y a   z  0
 c   c 
as  ( A)  2
 only one variable is free
let z  k
b  ac
2
a  bc 2
y 2 k, x  2 k.
c  ab c  ab
REFERENCES
 Linear algebra and its applications, By Gilbert
strang, Cengage Learning India Edition. (Fourth
Edition)
 Linear algebra and its applications, By David
C. lay, Pearson (Third Edition).
 Advanced Engineering Mathematics, by Erwin
Creyszig,