MATH 1119 E Limear Systems 1

Echelon Form and Reduced Echelon Form
A matrix is in echelon form (or row echelon form REF) if it has the following
three properties:
1. All nonzero rows are above any rows of all zeros.
2. Each leading entry of a row is in a column to the right of the leading entry of
the row above it.
3. All entries in a column below a leading entry are zeros.
If a matrix in echelon form satisﬁes the following additional conditions, then
it is in reduced echelon form (or reduced row echelon form (RREF)):
4. The leading entry in each nonzero row is 1.
5. Each leading 1 is the only nonzero entry in its column.
0 −3 −6 4 9
Example. 𝐴 = −1 −2 −1 3 1
−2 −3 0 3 −1
1 4 5 −9 −7
𝑅1 ↔ 𝑅4 gives
1 4 5 −9 −7
𝐴2 = −1 −2 −1 3 1
−2 −3 0 3 −1
0 −3 −6 4 9
[0] −3 −6 4 9
𝐴 = −1 −2 −1 3 1
−2 −3 0 3 −1
1 4 5 −9 −7
𝑅1 ↔ 𝑅3 gives
1 4 5 −9 −7
𝐴2 = −1 −2 −1 3 1
−2 −3 0 3 −1
0 −3 −6 4 9
𝑅2 → 𝑅2 + 𝑅1 and 𝑅3 → 𝑅3 + 2𝑅1 give

1 4 5 −9 −7
𝐴2 = 0 2 4 −6 −6
0 5 10 −15 −15
0 −3 −6 4 9
1
𝑅2 → 𝑅2 gives
2
1 4 5 −9 −7
𝐴3 = 0 1 2 −3 −3
0 5 10 −15 −15
0 −3 −6 4 9
𝑅3 → 𝑅3 − 5𝑅2 and
𝑅4 → 𝑅4 + 3𝑅2 give
𝑅3 → 𝑅3 − 5𝑅2 and
𝑅4 → 𝑅4 + 3𝑅2 give
1 4 5 −9 −7
𝐴4 = 0 1 2 −3 −3
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 −5 0
1 4 5 −9 −7
𝑅3 ↔ 𝑅4 gives 𝐴5 = 0 1 2 −3 −3
0 0 0 −5 0
0 0 0 0 0
𝐴5 is a echelon form of A.
Row Reduction Algorithm
• STEP 1.
• Begin with the leftmost nonzero column. This is a pivot column. The
pivot position is at the top.
• STEP 2
• Select a nonzero entry in the pivot column as a pivot. If necessary,
interchange rows to move this entry into the pivot position.
• STEP 3
• Use row replacement operations to create zeros in all positions below
the pivot.
• STEP 4
• Cover (or ignore) the row containing the pivot position and cover all
rows, if any, above it. Apply steps 1–3 to the submatrix that remains.
Repeat the process until there are no more nonzero rows to modify.
• STEP 5
• Beginning with the rightmost pivot and working upward and to the
left, create zeros above each pivot. If a pivot is not 1, make it 1 by a
scaling operation.
• Example.
0 3 −6 6 4 −5
𝐴 = 3 −7 8 −5 8 9
3 −9 12 −9 6 15
Step 1 and 2
Column 1 is a pivot column, top position is a pivot position
3 −9 12 −9 6 15
𝑅1 ↔ 𝑅3 gives 𝐴1 = 3 −7 8 −5 8 9
0 3 −6 6 4 −5
The top entry 3 is a pivot
Step 3. Create zeros below replacement operation.
3 −9 12 −9 6 15
𝑅2 → 𝑅2 − 𝑅1 gives 𝐴2 = 0 2 −4 4 2 −6
0 3 −6 6 4 −5
Step 4. Repeat 1-3
3 −9 12 −9 6 15
𝐴3 = 0 2 −4 4 2 −6
0 3 −6 6 4 −5
Column 2 is pivot column. Use scaling to simplify the row.
3 −9 12 −9 6 15
1
𝑅2 → 𝑅2 , gives 𝐴4 = 0 1 −2 2 1 −3
2
0 3 −6 6 4 −5
The 1 in the top entry is the pivot. Create zeros below the pivot by replacement operation.
3 −9 12 −9 6 15
𝑅3 → 𝑅3 − 3𝑅2 , gives 𝐴5 = 0 1 −2 2 1 −3
0 0 0 0 1 4
Step 4. Repeat 1-3
Column 5 is the pivot column. The top 1 is the pivot. There are no rows below the
pivot row. The matrix 𝐴5 is the row echelon form of A. Go to step 5.
3 −9 12 −9 6 15
Step 5. 𝐴5 = 0 1 −2 2 1 −3
0 0 0 0 1 4
Start from the last pivot column. Create zeros above the pivot by replacement
operation.
3 −9 12 −9 6 15
𝑅2 → 𝑅2 − 𝑅3 gives 𝐴6 = 0 1 −2 2 0 −7
0 0 0 0 1 4
3 −9 12 −9 0 −9
𝑅1 → 𝑅1 − 6𝑅3 gives 𝐴6 = 0 1 −2 2 0 −7
0 0 0 0 1 4
The next pivot is in the column 2. Create zero above the pivot.
3 0 −6 9 0 −72
𝑅1 → 𝑅1 + 9𝑅2 gives 𝐴6 = 0 1 −2 2 0 −7
0 0 0 0 1 4
1 0 −2 3 0 −24
1
Scaling 𝑅1 → 𝑅1 gives 𝐴7 = 0 1 −2 2 0 −7
3
0 0 0 0 1 4
𝐴7 is the reduced echelon form of A.
Existence and Uniqueness Theorem
A linear system is consistent if and only if the rightmost column of the augmented
matrix is not a pivot column—that is, if and only if an echelon form of the
augmented matrix has no row of the form
0 0 … 0 =𝑏
with b nonzero.
If a linear system is consistent, then the solution set contains either
(i) a unique solution, when there are no free variables, or
(ii) inﬁnitely many solutions, when there is at least one free variable.
USING ROW REDUCTION TO SOLVE A LINEAR SYSTEM
1. Write the augmented matrix of the system.
2. Use the row reduction algorithm to obtain an equivalent augmented matrix in
echelon form. Decide whether the system is consistent. If there is no solution, stop;
otherwise, go to the next step.
3. Continue row reduction to obtain the reduced echelon form.
4. Write the system of equations corresponding to the matrix obtained in step 3.
5. Rewrite each nonzero equation from step 4 so that its one basic variable is
expressed in terms of any free variables appearing in the equation.

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Echelon Form and Reduced Echelon Form

𝑅2 → 𝑅2 + 𝑅1 and 𝑅3 → 𝑅3 + 2𝑅1 give

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