Matrices and Basic Calculus

for Non-Majors – MT161

Idrissa S. A.
Amour.Idrissa@udsm.ac.tz

Elementary Row Operations

Department of Mathematics - UDSM
November 26, 2023
Elementary Row operations

An m × n matrix A is said to be in reduced row

echelon form (rref) if:
1 All zeros, appear at the bottom of the matrix.
2 First nonzero entry from the left of a nonzero row
is 1, called a leading one of its row.
3 Each nonzero row, leading one appears to the right
and below any leading one’s in preceding rows.
4 If a column contains a leading one, then all other
entries in that column are zero.

ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 2 / 12

A matrix in reduced row echelon form appears as a
staircase (”echelon”) pattern of leading ones.

An m × n matrix satisfies 1, 2 and 3 is said to be in

row echelon form (ref).

ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 3 / 12

Example 1: The following matrices are in rref since
they satisfy all conditions
⎡1 0 0 0⎤⎥
⎢ ⎡1 2 0 0 1⎤
⎢0 1 0 0⎥⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎢ ⎥
A=⎢ ⎥, C= ⎢0 0 1 2 3⎥
⎢0 0 1 0⎥⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎢0 0 0 0 0⎥
⎢0 0 0 1⎥⎦ ⎣ ⎦
⎣
Example 2: But the following are not in rref (why
not?)
⎡1 0 3 4⎤⎥
⎡1 2 0 4⎤ ⎡1 0 3 4⎤ ⎢
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥ ⎢0 1 −2 5⎥⎥
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥ ⎢
D = ⎢0 0 0 0⎥ , E = ⎢0 2 −2 5⎥ , F = ⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥ ⎢0 0 2 2⎥⎥
⎢0 0 1 3⎥ ⎢0 0 1 2⎥ ⎢
⎣ ⎦ ⎣ ⎦ ⎢0 0 0 0⎥⎦
⎣
ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 4 / 12
Definition: An elementary row operations on an m × n
matrix A = [aij ] is any of the following operations
1 Interchange two rows s and k of A; Rs ←→ Rk
2 Multiply a row s by a constant c ≠ 0; cRs Ð→ Rs .
3 Add d times row s to row k of A; dRs + Rk Ð→ Rk
⎡0 0 1 2⎤
⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎥
Example 3: Let A = ⎢2 3 0 −2⎥. Let us perform
⎢ ⎥
⎢3 3 6 −9⎥
⎣ ⎦
some row operations on A, interchanging rows 1 and 3
⎡0 0 1 2⎤ ⎡ ⎤
⎢ ⎥ R ←→ R ⎢3 3 6 −9⎥
⎢ ⎥ 3⎢ ⎥
A = ⎢2 3 0 −2⎥ 1 ⎢2 3 0 −2⎥
⎢ ⎥ ∼ ⎢ ⎥
⎢3 3 6 −9⎥ ⎢0 0 1 2⎥
⎣ ⎦ ⎣ ⎦

ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 5 / 12

Multiplying the third row of A by 13 , we obtain
⎡0 0 1 2⎤ ⎡ ⎤
⎢ ⎥ 1 R Ð→ R ⎢0 0 1 2⎥
⎢ ⎥3 3 3 ⎢ ⎥
A = ⎢2 3 0 −2⎥ ⎢2 3 0 −2⎥
⎢ ⎥ ∼ ⎢ ⎥
⎢3 3 6 −9⎥ ⎢1 1 2 −3⎥
⎣ ⎦ ⎣ ⎦
Adding (−2) times row 2 of A to row 3, we obtain
⎡0 0 1 2⎤ ⎡ ⎤
⎢ ⎥ −2R + R Ð→ R ⎢ 3 3 6 −9⎥
⎢ ⎥ 2 3 3 ⎢ ⎥
A = ⎢2 3 0 −2⎥ ⎢ 2 3 0 −2⎥
⎢ ⎥ ∼ ⎢ ⎥
⎢3 3 6 −9⎥ ⎢−1 −3 6 −5⎥
⎣ ⎦ ⎣ ⎦

ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 6 / 12

Definition: An m × n matrix A is said to be row
equivalent to an m × n matrix B if B can be obtained
by applying a finite sequence of elementary row
operations to A.
Facts: We can easily verify the following:
1 Every matrix is row equivalent to itself.
2 If A is row equivalent to B, then B is row
equivalent to A; and
3 If A is row equivalent to B and B is row equivalent
to C , then A is row equivalent to C .
Theorem: Every m × n matrix is row equivalent to a
matrix in row echelon form.

ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 7 / 12

 ⎡0 2 3 −4 1⎤⎥
⎢
⎢0 0 2 3 4⎥⎥
⎢
Example 4: Reduce the matrix A = ⎢ ⎥
⎢2 2 −5 2 4⎥⎥
⎢
⎢2 0 −6 9 7⎥⎦
⎣
Identify a pivotal column and therefore pivots
⎡0 2 3 −4 1⎤⎥ ⎡2 2 −5 2 4⎤⎥
⎢ ⎢
⎢0 0 2 3 4⎥⎥ R1 ←→ R3 ⎢⎢ 0 0 2 3 4⎥⎥
⎢
A=⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢2 2 −5 2 4⎥⎥ ∼ ⎢0 2 3 −4 1⎥⎥
⎢ ⎢
⎢2 0 −6 9 7⎥⎦ ⎢2 0 −6 9 7⎥⎦
⎣ ⎣
⎡1 5 ⎤
⎢ 1 − 2 1 2⎥
1 ⎢
R
2 1 Ð→ R 1 ⎢0 0 2 3 4⎥⎥
⎢ ⎥
∼ ⎢0 2 3 −4 1⎥⎥
⎢
⎢2 0 −6 9 7⎥⎦
⎣

ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 8 / 12

⎡1
⎢ 1 − 52 1 2⎤⎥ ⎡1 1 − 5 1 2⎤
⎢ 2 ⎥
⎢0 0 2 3 4⎥⎥−2R1 + R4 Ð→ R4 ⎢⎢ 0 0 2 3 4⎥⎥
⎢
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢0 2 3 −4 1⎥⎥ ∼ ⎢ 0 2 3 −4 1⎥
⎢ ⎢ ⎥
⎢2 0 −6 9 7⎥⎦ ⎢ 0 −2 −1 7 3⎥
⎣ ⎣ ⎦
⎡1 1 − 5 1 2⎤
⎢ 2 ⎥
R2 ←→ R3 ⎢⎢ 0 2 3 −4 1⎥⎥
⎢ ⎥
∼ ⎢ 0 0 2 3 4⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎢ 0 −2 −1 7 3⎥
⎣ ⎦

ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 9 / 12

 ⎡1 1 − 5 1 2⎤
⎢ 2 ⎥
1 ⎢ 3 1⎥
2 R2 Ð→ R2 ⎢⎢
0 1 2 −2 2 ⎥
⎥
∼ ⎢ 0 0 2 3 4⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎢ 0 −2 −1 7 3⎥
⎣ ⎦
⎡1 1 − 5
⎢ 2 1 2⎤⎥
⎢ 3
2R2 + R3 Ð→ R3 ⎢ 0 1 2 −2 1⎥
⎢ 2⎥⎥
∼ ⎢0 0 2 3 4⎥⎥
⎢
⎢0 0 2 3 4⎥⎦
⎣
⎡1 1 − 5 1 2⎤
⎢ ⎥
1
R Ð→ R ⎢ 0 1 32 −2 1 ⎥
2 3 3 ⎢ 2 2⎥
⎢ 3 ⎥
∼ ⎢ 0 0 1 2 2⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎢ 0 0 2 3 4⎥
⎣ ⎦
ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 10 / 12
⎡1
⎢ 1 − 52 1 2⎤⎥ ⎡1
⎢ 1 − 52 1 2⎤⎥
⎢0
⎢ 1 32 −2 12 ⎥⎥−2R3 + R4 Ð→ R4 ⎢⎢ 0 1 32 −2 12 ⎥⎥
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥=B
⎢0
⎢ 0 1 23 2⎥⎥ ∼ ⎢0
⎢ 0 1 32 2⎥⎥
⎢0 0 2 3 4⎥⎦ ⎢0 0 0 0 0⎥⎦
⎣ ⎣
Stop/continue? The row echelon form of a matrix is
not unique. B ∼ A

Theorem: Every m × n matrix A = [aij ] is row

equivalent to a unique matrix in reduced row echelon
form.

ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 11 / 12

Example 5: Find the rref of the matrix A in example 4
Ð→ Satisfy condition 4. Making zeros above the leading
ones
⎡1
⎢ 1 − 25 1 2⎤⎥ ⎡1
⎢ 0 −4 3 32 ⎤⎥
−R 2 + R 1 Ð→ R 1
⎢0
⎢ 1 32 −2 12 ⎥
⎥ ⎢0
⎢ 1 0 − 17
4 −2⎥
5⎥
⎢ 3 ⎥ ∼ ⎢ 3 ⎥
⎢0 0 1 2 2⎥⎥ 3 ⎢0 0 1 2 2⎥⎥
⎢
⎢0 − 2 R 3 + R 2 Ð→ R 2 ⎢
⎣ 0 0 0 0⎥⎦ ⎢0
⎣ 0 0 0 0⎥⎦
⎡1
⎢ 0 0 9 19 ⎤
2⎥
4R3 + R1 Ð→ R1 ⎢⎢ 0 1 0 − 17
4 −2⎥
5⎥
⎢ 3 ⎥
∼ ⎢0 0 1 2 2⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎢0 0 0 0 0⎥⎦
⎣
which is in rref form and is row equivalent to A.
ISA MT161 – 2023/2024 12 / 12