Gauss Elimination Method :

To reduce the augmented matrix to row - echelon form you should follow the
following steps:

Step 1. Locate the leftmost column that does not consist entirely of zeros.
Step 2. Interchange the top row with another row , if necessary , to bring
a nonzero entry to the top of the column found in Step 1.
Step 3. If the entry that is now at the top of the column found in Step 1 is b
1
, multiply the first row by in order to introduce a leading 1.
b
Step 4. Add suitable multiples of the top row to the rows below so that all
entries below the leading 1 become zeros.
Step 5. Now cover the top row in the matrix and begin again with Step 1
applied to the submatrix that remains. Continue in this way until the
entire matrix is in row - echelon form.

Example : Solve the following system of linear equations by using the

Gauss elimination method:
5 x1 + 6 x2 = 7
3 x1 + 4 x2 = 5

Solution: The system of linear equations has the following augmented matrix

1
R1  R1  6 7 
 5 6 7  1  R 2  3 R1  R 2
  5     5 5       
 3 4 
 5   3 4 5 


 6 7 
1  5
R 2  R2  6 7 
 5 5  1  In Row - Echelon
 2     5 5 
4  0 1 2 
2 Form
 0 
 5 5  

The last matrix is in row - echelon form . The corresponding reduced system is:

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 6 7
x1  x2  … (1)
5 5
x 2  2 … (2)

Substitute the value of x 2 in equation (1) ,we get

12 7 7 12 5
x1    x1    x1    1
5 5 5 5 5
Therefore the solution of the system is x 1   1 , and x 2  2 .

Example : Solve the following system of linear equations by using the

Gauss elimination method :
4y + 2z = 1
2x + 3y + 5z = 0
3 x + y + z = 11

Solution: The system of linear equations has the following augmented matrix

 0 4 2 1   2 3 5 0  1
R1  R1
  R  R  
 2 3 5 0  1   2   0 4 2 1     
2
 3 1 1 11   3 1 1 
  11 

 3 5 
1 0 
 2 2  R 3  3R 1  R 3
 0 4 2 1        
 
 3 1 1 11 
 

 3 5 
1 0 
 2 2  1
R2  R2
0 4 2 1     
4
 
 7 13 
0   11 
 2 2 

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 3 5
0 
1
 2 2  7
 R 3  R2  R
1 1  R23
0 1         
2
 2 4 
 7 13 11 
 0   
 2 2 

 3 5 
1 0 
 2 2  4
  R3  R3
1 1 
0 1  19
    
 2 4 
 
0 19 95 
 0 
 4 8 

 3 5 
1 0 
 2 2  In Row - Echelon Form
 1 1 
0 1 
 2 4 
 
0 5 
 0 1 
 2 

The last matrix is in row - echelon form . The corresponding reduced system is:
3 5
x  y z  0 … (1)
2 2
1 1
y z  … (2)
2 4
5
z =  … (3)
2
Substitute the value of z in equation (2) , we get

5 1 1 5 6 3
y   y   
4 4 4 4 4 2

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Substitute the values of y and z in equation (1) , we get
9 25 9 25 16
x   0  x     4
4 4 4 4 4
3 5
Therefore the solution of the system is x = 4 , y = , and z =  .
2 2

Example : Solve the following system of linear equations by using the

Gauss elimination method:
3 x1 + 6 x2 – 9 x3 = 15
2 x1 + 4 x2 – 6 x3 = 10
– 2 x1 – 3 x2 + 4 x3 = – 6

Solution: The system of linear equations has the following augmented matrix

 3 6 9 15  1
R 1  R1
 
 2 4 6 10  3
    
 2 3 4 6 
 

 1 2 3 5  R 2  2 R 1  R2
 
 2 4 6 10        
 2 3 4  6 


 1 2 3 5  R3  2 R1  R 3
 
 0 0 0 0        
 2 3 4  6 


1 2 3 5 R2  R3
 
0 0 0 0    
0 1 2 4 


1 2 3 5
  In Row – Echelon Form
0 1 2 4
0 0 
 0 0

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The last matrix is in row - echelon form. The corresponding reduced system is:
x 1 + 2 x 2 – 3 x 3 = 5 …(1)
x 2 – 2 x 3 = 4 …(2)

Equation (2) implies that x 2 = 2 x 3 + 4 …(3)

Substitute the value of x 2 in equation (1), we get

x1 + 4 x3 + 8 – 3 x3 = 5  x1 = – x3 – 3

If we let x 3 = t , then for any real number t , we have:

x1 = – t – 3
x2 = 2 t + 4
x3 = t
Therefore the system has infinite number of solutions.

If t = 0, the solution will be x 1 = – 3 , x 2 = 4 and x 3 = 0

If t = 1, the solution will be x 1 = – 4 , x 2 = 6 and x 3 = 1

If t = – 2, the solution will be x 1 = – 1 , x 2 = 0 and x 3 = – 2

If t = 3.5, the solution will be x 1 = – 6.5 , x 2 = 11 and x 3 = 3.5

Exercises :

(1) Solve the following system of linear equations by using the Gauss
elimination method:
x1 + x 2 + x3 = 2
2 x1 + 3 x2 – x3 = 9
x1 + 3 x2 + 2 x3 = 5

(2) Solve the following system of linear equations by using the Gauss
elimination method:

x + y + 2 z = 14
x – 3 y + 2 z = 10
2 x – y + 2 z = 15

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