Lecture-35

Mathematics 1 (15B11MA111)

CO [C105.6]

Module: Matrices
Topic: Homogenous System of Equations

Reference for the lecture

R.K Jain and S.R.K. Iyenger, “Advanced Engineering
Mathematics” fifth edition, Narosa publishing house, 2016.

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Homogeneous System of Linear
Equations

If all bi are zero then the system is known as Homogeneous

system of linear equations.

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Properties of Homogeneous System

Consider the homogeneous system of equations:

Where A is matrix.

 The homogeneous system is always consistent since x=0

(trivial solution) is always a solution. So rank(A) = rank(A|0).
 For nontrivial solution : rank(A) < n.
 If parameter
family of solutions which form a vector space of dimension
(n-r) 3
  The solution space of homogeneous syatem is called
the null space and its dimension is called the nullity of
A.
 If

Remarks:

 Remark 1: If x1 and x2 are two solutions of a linear

homogeneous system, then 1 2 is also solution
of the homogeneous system for any scalars . This
result does not hold for non-homogeneous systems.

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 Remark 2: The homogeneous system of m equations in n
unknowns and m<n, always possesses a non-trivial solution.
 Remark 3: If the non-homogeneous system of equations
, Where A is matrix (m ≥ n) has a unique
solution, i.e.rank(A)= n, then the corresponding
homogeneous system has only the trivial solution,
i.e. xh= 0.

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 Examples
Example 1: Solve the following homogenous system of
equation where A is given by
1 1  1 1 
2 3 1 4 
(i) (ii) (iii)  
3 2  6 1 

Find the rank (A) and nullity (A).

Solution:

 2 1 0
1  1 0
(i) (A|0) =   2 1
3 2 0 3 1

2 1 0
0  3 / 2 0
=   3 2
 0 1 / 2 0
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 2 1 0
0  3 / 2 0
(A|0) =  
0 0 0
Since rank(A) = 2 = number of unknowns
Therefore the system has only a trivial solution. Hence,
nullity (A) = 0.

Solution (ii):

1 2  3 0
 
1 1  1 0  𝑅2 − 𝑅1
(A|0) =
1  1 1 0 𝑅3 − 𝑅1
1 2  3 0
 
 0  1 2 0  𝑅3 − 3𝑅2
=
0  3 4 0
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 1 2  3 0
 
 0  1 2 0 
(A|0) = 
0 0  2 0
Since rank (A)=3= number of unknowns

Therefore the system has only a trivial solution. Hence, nullity

(A) = 0.

Solution (iii):

1 1 1 1 0
 
2 3 1 4 0  𝑅 − 2𝑅
2 1
(A|0) = 
3 2 6 1 0  𝑅3 − 3𝑅1

1 1  1 1 0
 
0 1 3 2 0
= 
0  1  3 2 0 𝑅3 + 𝑅2
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 1 1  1 1 0
 
 0 1 3 2 0
(A|0) =
0 0 0 0 0

Since rank (A) =2 and the number of unknowns is 4. Hence

we obtain a two parameter family of solutions as

2 3 4 1 2 3 4 3 4

Where, 3 4 are arbitrary.

Therefore nullity (A) = 2.

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