1.

4 Systems of Linear Equations

1.4.1 Write down the matrix form of the following systems of linear equations.
 
 x1 + x2 + x3 = 4,  x1 + x2 − x3 + 2x4 = 10,
(i) x1 + 2x2 + 4x3 = 4, (ii) 3x1 − x2 + 7x3 + 4x4 = 1,
x1 + 3x2 + 9x3 = 2. −5x1 + 3x2 − 15x3 − 6x4 = 9.
 

 

 4x1 + 2x2 + x3 = 7, 
 6x3 + 2x4 − 4x5 − 8x6 = 8,
x1 − x2 + x3 = 2, 3x3 + x4 − 2x5 − 4x6 = 4,
 
(iii) (iv)

 2x1 + 3x2 − 3x3 = 11, 
 2x1 − 3x2 + x3 + 4x4 − 7x5 + x6 = 2,
4x1 + x2 − x3 = 7. 6x1 − 9x2 + 11x4 − 19x5 + 3x6 = 1.
 

 

 3x1 − x2 + x3 = 6, 
 x1 + x2 + x3 + x4 + x5 = −1,
 x1 − 5x2 + x3 = 12,  1 + 2x2 + 3x4 + x5 = 1,
2x

 

(v) 2x1 + 4x2 = −6, (vi) 2x3 + 2x4 − x5 = 1,
2x1 + x2 + 3x3 = 3, −2x3 + 4x4 − 3x5 = 7,

 


 

5x1 + 4x3 = 9. 6x3 + 3x4 − x5 = −1.
 

1.4.2 Solve for vector x each of the following systems of linear equations by finding the
inverse of the coefficient matrix.
 
 3x1 + 2x2 − x3 = 1,  x1 − 2x3 = −3,
(i) x1 + x2 + 2x3 = 2, (ii) −2x1 + x2 + 6x3 = 11,
2x1 + 2x2 + 5x3 = 3. −x1 + 5x2 − 4x3 = −4.
 

 

 x1 + 2x2 + 3x3 − 2x4 = 6 
 x1 − 2x2 + 3x3 − x4 = 6,
2x1 − x2 − 2x3 − 3x4 = 8 2x1 + 3x2 − 4x3 + 4x4 = 7,
 
(iii) (iv)
 3x1 + 2x2 − x3 + 2x4 = 4
 
 3x1 + x2 − 2x3 − 2x4 = 9,
2x1 − 3x2 + 2x3 + x4 = −8 x1 − 3x2 + 7x3 + 6x4 = −7.
 

1.4.3 Solve for vector x each of the following systems of linear equations using Cramer’s rule.
 
 x1 − x2 + 2x3 = 11,  x1 + 2x2 + x3 = 8,
(i) x1 + 2x2 − x3 = 11, (ii) −2x1 + 3x2 − 3x3 = −5,
4x1 − 3x2 + 3x3 = 24. 3x1 − 4x2 + 5x3 = 10.
 

 
 2x1 + x2 − x3 = 0,  x2 + 3x3 = −6,
(iii) 3x2 + 4x3 = −6, (iv) x1 − 2x2 − x3 = 5,
x1 + x3 = 1. 3x1 + 4x2 − 2x3 = 13.
 

1.4.4 Discuss, in parameters λ and µ, the solution set of each of the following systems of
linear equations.
 
 λx1 + x2 + x3 = 1,  (1 + λ)x1 + x2 + x3 = 1,
(i) x1 + λx2 + x3 = 1, (ii) x1 + (1 + λ)x2 + x3 = λ,
x1 + x2 + λx3 = 1. x1 + x2 + (1 + λ)x3 = λ2 .
 

 
 x1 + 2x2 + λx3 = 3,  x1 + x2 + 2x3 = −3,
(iii) 3x1 − x2 − λx3 = 2, (iv) 3x1 + 2x2 + 4x3 = λ,
2x1 + x2 + 3x3 = µ. 5x1 + 5x2 + 6x3 = λ2 .
 

1.4.5 Solve the systems of linear equations in triangular form using back-substitution.

11
  

 3x1 = −2, 
 2x1 = −6,
 2x1 − 2x3 = 5,  x2 = 5,

 

(i) x1 − x2 + 3x3 = 0, (ii) x1 + x2 + x3 = −3,
−x1 − 2x2 − 3x3 + 2x4 = 1, x − 2x2 + x3 − 4x4 = −6,
 
 1

 

 
−x1 + x2 + 4x3 − x4 + 6x5 = 10, −2x1 − 5x3 + 6x4 + 12x5 = 3.


 

 2x1 − x2 + 3x3 − 2x4 + x5 = 1, 
 5x1 + x2 + x3 − 4x4 + x5 = −3,
−3x2 − 4x3 + 5x5 = −2, 3x2 + x3 + 2x4 − x5 = 2,

 

 
(iii) x3 + x4 − 5x5 = 4, (ii) x3 + x4 − x 5 = 0,
x4 − 2x5 = −1, 2x4 − x5 = 1,

 


 

4x5 = −3. −x5 = 12.
 

1.4.6 If the n×n matrix A can be expressed as A = LU , where L is a lower triangular matrix
and U is an upper triangular matrix, then the system of linear equations Ax = b can
expressed as LU x = b and can be solved in two steps:

Step 1. Let U x = y, so that LU x = b becomes Ly = b, solve the latter system for y.

Step 2. Solve the system U x = y for x.

Use this two-step method to solve the given systems

     
2 0 0 −4 3 1 x1 −1
(i) −1 3 0   0 6 −2 x2  =  0  ;
4 7 −9 0 0 5 x3 3
     
5 0 0 0 −9 5 1 1 x1 4
−2 8 0 0  0 2 3 5  x2  −5
   
(ii) 
 3 7 4 0  0 0 −2 3  x3  =  0  .
 

1 3 −4 2 0 0 0 −1 x4 2
1.4.7 Determine the solution set of each of the following systems of linear equations using
Gauss elimination with back-substitution.
 
x1 + x2 + 2x3 + x4 = 1, x1 − x2 + x3 + x5 = −1,
(i) (ii)
x1 − 2x2 − x − 4 = −2. 2x1 + x2 − x3 − 2x4 = 5.
 
 x1 + 2x2 − 3x3 + 4x4 = 7,  x1 + 3x2 + 5x3 + 7x4 + 9x5 = 1,
(iii) 2x1 + 4x2 + 5x3 − x4 = 2, (iv) x1 − 2x2 + 3x3 − 4x4 + 5x5 = 2,
5x1 + 10x2 + 7x3 + 2x4 = 11. 2x1 + 11x2 + 12x3 + 25x4 + 22x5 = 4.
 

 
 2x1 + 3x2 + 4x3 + 3x4 = 0,  5x1 + 7x2 + 4x3 + 5x4 − 8x5 + 3x6 = 1,
(v) 4x1 + 6x2 + 9x3 + 8x4 = −3, (vi) 2x1 + 3x2 + 3x3 − 6x4 + 7x5 − 9x6 = 2,
6x1 + 9x2 + 9x3 + 4x4 = 8. 7x1 + 9x2 + 3x3 + 7x4 − 5x5 − 8x6 = 5.
 

 

 5x1 + x2 − 3x3 = −6, 
 x1 − 2x2 + 3x3 − 4x4 = 2,
2x1 − 5x2 + 7x3 = 9, 3x1 + 3x2 − 5x3 + x4 = −3,
 
(vii) (viii)
 4x1 + 2x2 − 4x3 = −7,
  −2x1 + x2 + 2x3 − 3x4 = 5,

5x1 − 2x2 + 2x3 = 1. 3x1 + 3x3 − 10x4 = 8.
 

 

 3x1 + 3x2 − 6x3 − 2x4 = −1, 
 x1 + x2 + x3 + x4 = 0,
 6x1 + x2 − 2x4 = −2,  x2 + x3 + x4 + x5 = 0,

 

(ix) 6x1 − 7x2 + 21x3 + 4x4 = 3, (x) x1 + 2x2 + 3x4 = 2,
9x + 4x2 + 2x4 = 3, x2 + 2x3 + 3x4 = −2,
 
 1

 

 
12x1 − 6x2 + 21x3 + 2x4 = 1. x3 + 2x4 + 3x5 = 2.


12
 1.4.8 Determine the solution set of each of the systems of linear equations given in Exercise
1.4.1.
1.4.9 Given matrices A, B, solve for matrix C the equation A.C = B in each following cases.
   
2 0 4 13 15
(i) A =  1 −1 −2 , B =  17 10  ;
−1 2 3 −1 −5
   
1 1 1 1 −1 2 3 4
0 1 1 1  1 −1 0 0
(ii) A = 
0 0 1 1 , B =  3 −5 −1 −3 ;
  

0 0 0 1 2 1 0 3
   
5 −2 −5 4 1 1 0
−2 1 11 −9
 , B = −1 0 1 .
 
(iii) A = 
0 0 5 −4  0 0 1
0 0 −6 5 1 1 1
1.4.10 Some applications.
(i) Polynomial curve fitting. Find the polynomial of degree 4 whose graph goes
through the points (1, 1), (2, -1), (3, -59), (-1,5), and (-2. -29).
(ii) Balancing a chemical reaction. Consider the chemical reaction

aNO2 + bH2 0 → cHNO2 + dHNO3 ,

where a, b, c and d are unknown positive integers. The reaction must be balanced;
that is, the number of atoms of each element must be the same before and after
the reaction. For example, because the number of oxygen atoms must remain the
same,
2a + b = 2c + 3d.
While there are many possible values for a, b, c and d that balance the reaction, it
is customary to use the smallest possible positive integers. Balance this reaction.
(iii) Analyisis of an electrical network. The Kirchhoff’s laws for an electrical network:
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 U in the path.
Applying these laws, determine the currents I1 , I2 , I3 , I4 and I5 for each electrical
network shown in the following figures

13
1.5 Rank of Matrix
1.5.1 For each of the following matrices, determine the rank
     
1 2 3 5 2 −1 3 −2 4 2 −1 3 −2 4
(i) 3 −1 4 −2 ; (ii) 4 −2 5 1 7 ; (iii) 4 −2 5 1 7 ;
5 3 10 8 2 −1 1 8 2 2 −1 1 8 2
     
2 −2 1 1 2 4 5 2 1 3 2 0 5
−3 1 −1 2 3 1 1 3 2 6 9 7 12
(iv) 
5
; (v)  ; (vi)  ;
4 1 0 1 7 9 1 −2 −5 2 4 5
1 0 0 1 3 11 14 3 1 4 8 4 20
     
−1 0 0 1 1 −3 2 5 2 −9 −5 −2 9 −5
0 1 1 2 −2 4 3 1 4 4 3 7 −4 4 
     
1
(vii) 1 1 1; (viii) 0 −2 7 11 ; (ix) −2 −3 −1 −3 3 −3 .
 
4 2 3 1  7 −15 −7 2  2 2 −1 2 −6 2 
3 1 2 0 −1 1 5 6 −1 1 3 −1 1 −1
1.5.2 Determine whether each of the following systems of linear equations is inconsistent,
consistent.


 x1 + 2x2 − 3x3 + 5x4 = 1,
x1 + 3x2 − 13x3 + 22x4 = −1,

(i)

 3x 1 + 5x2 + x3 − 2x4 = 5,
2x1 + 3x2 + 4x3 − 7x4 = 4.



 3x1 − x2 + x3 + 2x5 = 18,
 2x1 − 5x2 + x4 + x5 = −7,


(ii) x1 − x4 + 2x5 = 8,
2x2 + x3 + x4 − x − 5 = 10,




x1 + x2 − 3x3 + x4 = 1.



 3x1 + x2 − 2x3 + x4 − x5 = 1,
2x1 − x2 + 7x3 − 3x4 + 5x5 = 2,

(iii)

 x1 + 3x2 − 2x3 + 5x4 − 7x5 = 3,
3x1 − 2x2 + 7x3 − 5x4 + 8x5 = 3.


 5x1 + 7x2 + 4x3 + 5x4 − 8x5 + 3x6 = 1,
(iv) 2x1 + 3x2 + 3x3 − 6x4 + 7x5 − 9x6 = 2,
7x1 + 9x2 + 3x3 + 7x4 − 5x5 − 8x6 = 5.


14