System of Linear Equations
System of Linear Equations
System of Linear Equations
y
6
5 2x y 1
4
3 (2, 3)
2
1 3x 2 y 12
x
1 2 3 4 5 6
–1
Systems of Equations
Recall that a system of two linear equations in two
variables may be written in the general form
ax by h
cx dy k
where a, b, c, d, h, and k are real numbers and neither
a and b nor c and d are both zero.
Recall that the graph of each equation in the system is a
straight line in the plane, so that geometrically, the
solution to the system is the point(s) of intersection of the
two straight lines L1 and L2, represented by the first and
second equations of the system.
Systems of Equations
Given the two straight lines L1 and L2, one and only one of
the following may occur:
1. L1 and L2 intersect at exactly one point.
L1
Unique
y1 solution
(x1, y1)
(x1, y1)
x
x1
L2
Systems of Equations
Given the two straight lines L1 and L2, one and only one of
the following may occur:
2. L1 and L2 are coincident.
L1, L2
Infinitely
many
solutions
x
Systems of Equations
Given the two straight lines L1 and L2, one and only one of
the following may occur:
3. L1 and L2 are parallel.
L1
L2
No
solution
x
Example:
A System of Equations With Exactly One Solution
Consider the system
2x y 1
3x 2 y 12
Solving the first equation for y in terms of x, we obtain
y 2x 1
Substituting this expression for y into the second equation
yields
3x 2(2 x 1) 12
3x 4 x 2 12
7 x 14
x2
Example:
A System of Equations With Exactly One Solution
Finally, substituting this value of x into the expression for
y obtained earlier gives
y 2x 1
2(2) 1
3
Therefore, the unique solution of the system is given by
x = 2 and y = 3.
Example:
A System of Equations With Exactly One Solution
Geometrically, the two lines represented by the two
equations that make up the system intersect at the
point (2, 3):
y
6
5 2x y 1
4
3 (2, 3)
2
3x 2 y 12
1
x
1 2 3 4 5 6
–1
Example:
A System of Equations With Infinitely Many Solutions
Consider the system
2x y 1
6x 3y 3
Solving the first equation for y in terms of x, we obtain
y 2x 1
Substituting this expression for y into the second equation
yields
6 x 3(2 x 1) 3
6x 6x 3 3
00
which is a true statement.
This result follows from the fact that the second equation
is equivalent to the first.
Example:
A System of Equations With Infinitely Many Solutions
Thus, any order pair of numbers (x, y) satisfying the
equation y = 2x – 1 constitutes a solution to the system.
By assigning the value t to x, where t is any real number,
we find that y = 2t – 1 and so the ordered pair (t, 2t – 1)
is a solution to the system.
The variable t is called a parameter.
For example:
✦ Setting t = 0, gives the point (0, –1) as a solution of the
system.
✦ Setting t = 1, gives the point (1, 1) as another solution of
the system.
Example:
A System of Equations With Infinitely Many Solutions
Since t represents any real number, there are infinitely
many solutions of the system.
Geometrically, the two equations in the system represent
the same line, and all solutions of the system are points
lying on the line:
y
6
5
2x y 1
4 6x 3y 3
3
2
1
x
1 2 3 4 5 6
–1
Example:
A System of Equations That Has No Solution
Consider the system
2x y 1
6 x 3 y 12
Solving the first equation for y in terms of x, we obtain
y 2x 1
Substituting this expression for y into the second equation
yields
6 x 3(2 x 1) 12
6 x 6 x 3 12
09
which is clearly impossible.
Thus, there is no solution to the system of equations.
Example:
A System of Equations That Has No Solution
To interpret the situation geometrically, cast both
equations in the slope-intercept form, obtaining
y = 2x – 1 and y = 2x – 4
which shows that the linesy are parallel.
Graphically: 6
2x y 1
5
6 x 3 y 12
4
3
2
1
x
1 2 3 4 5 6
–1
5.2
Systems of Linear Equations:
Unique Solutions
3x 2 y 8 z 9
2 x 2 y z 3
x 2 y 3z 8
3 2 8 9 1 0 0 3
2 2 1 3 0 1 0 4
1 2 3 8 0 0 1 1
The Gauss-Jordan Method
The Gauss-Jordan elimination method is a technique for
solving systems of linear equations of any size.
The operations of the Gauss-Jordan method are
1. Interchange any two equations.
2. Replace an equation by a nonzero constant multiple of
itself.
3. Replace an equation by the sum of that equation and a
constant multiple of any other equation .
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
First, we transform this system into an equivalent system
in which the coefficient of x in the first equation is 1:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
First, we transform this system into an equivalent system
in which the coefficient of x in the first equation is 1:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
Next, we eliminate the variable x from all equations except
the first:
Toggle slides x 2 y 3z 11
back and forth to
compare before 3x 8 y 5z 27 Replace by the sum of
and changes – 3 X the first
x y 2z 2 equation + the
second equation
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
Next, we eliminate the variable x from all equations except
the first:
Toggle slides x 2 y 3z 11
back and forth to
compare before 2 y 4 z 6 Replace by the sum of
and changes – 3 ☓ the first
x y 2z 2 equation + the
second equation
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
Next, we eliminate the variable x from all equations except
the first:
Toggle slides x 2 y 3z 11
back and forth to
compare before 2 y 4 z 6
and changes
x y 2z 2 Replace by the sum
of the first equation
+ the third equation
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
Next, we eliminate the variable x from all equations except
the first:
Toggle slides x 2 y 3z 11
back and forth to
compare before 2 y 4 z 6
and changes
3 y 5z 13 Replace by the sum
of the first equation
+ the third equation
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
Then we transform so that the coefficient of y in the
second equation is 1:
Toggle slides x 2 y 3z 11
back and forth to
compare before 2 y 4 z 6 Multiply the second
and changes equation by 1/2
3 y 5z 13
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
Then we transform so that the coefficient of y in the
second equation is 1:
Toggle slides x 2 y 3z 11
back and forth to
compare before y 2 z 3 Multiply the second
and changes equation by 1/2
3 y 5z 13
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
We now eliminate y from all equations except the second:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
We now eliminate y from all equations except the second:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
We now eliminate y from all equations except the second:
Toggle slides x 7 z 17
back and forth to
compare before y 2 z 3
and changes
3 y 5z 13 Replace by the sum of
the third equation +
(–3) ☓ the second
equation
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
We now eliminate y from all equations except the second:
Toggle slides x 7 z 17
back and forth to
compare before y 2 z 3
and changes
11z 22 Replace by the sum of
the third equation +
(–3) ☓ the second
equation
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
Now we transform so that the coefficient of z in the third
equation is 1:
Toggle slides x 7 z 17
back and forth to
compare before y 2 z 3
and changes
11z 22 Multiply the third
equation by 1/11
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
Now we transform so that the coefficient of z in the third
equation is 1:
Toggle slides x 7 z 17
back and forth to
compare before y 2 z 3
and changes
z2 Multiply the third
equation by 1/11
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
We now eliminate z from all equations except the third:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
We now eliminate z from all equations except the third:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
We now eliminate z from all equations except the third:
Toggle slides x 3
back and forth to
compare before y 2 z 3 Replace by the sum of
and changes the second equation +
z2 2 ☓ the third
equation
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
We now eliminate z from all equations except the third:
Toggle slides x 3
back and forth to
compare before y 1 Replace by the sum of
and changes the second equation +
z2 2 ☓ the third
equation
Example
Solve the following system of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5 z 27
x y 2z 2
Solution
Thus, the solution to the system is x = 3, y = 1, and z = 2.
x 3
y 1
z2
Augmented Matrices
Matrices are rectangular arrays of numbers that can aid
us by eliminating the need to write the variables at each
step of the reduction.
For example, the system
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5z 27
x y 2z 2
may be represented by the augmented matrix
Coefficient
Matrix
2 4 6 22
3 8 5 27
1 1 2 2
Matrices and Gauss-Jordan
Every step in the Gauss-Jordan elimination method can be
expressed with matrices, rather than systems of equations,
thus simplifying the whole process:
Steps expressed as systems of equations:
2 x 4 y 6 z 22
3x 8 y 5z 27
x y 2z 2
Toggle slides
2 4 6 22
back and forth to
compare before 3 8 5 27
and changes 1 1 2 2
Matrices and Gauss-Jordan
Every step in the Gauss-Jordan elimination method can be
expressed with matrices, rather than systems of equations,
thus simplifying the whole process:
Steps expressed as systems of equations:
x 2 y 3z 11
3x 8 y 5z 27
x y 2z 2
Toggle slides
1 2 3 11
back and forth to
compare before 3 8 5 27
and changes 1 1 2 2
Matrices and Gauss-Jordan
Every step in the Gauss-Jordan elimination method can be
expressed with matrices, rather than systems of equations,
thus simplifying the whole process:
Steps expressed as systems of equations:
x 2 y 3z 11
2 y 4 z 6
x y 2z 2
Toggle slides
1 2 3 11
back and forth to
compare before 0 2 4 6
and changes 1 1 2 2
Matrices and Gauss-Jordan
Every step in the Gauss-Jordan elimination method can be
expressed with matrices, rather than systems of equations,
thus simplifying the whole process:
Steps expressed as systems of equations:
x 2 y 3z 11
2 y 4 z 6
3 y 5z 13
Toggle slides
1 2 3 11
back and forth to
compare before 0 2 4 6
and changes 0 3 5 13
Matrices and Gauss-Jordan
Every step in the Gauss-Jordan elimination method can be
expressed with matrices, rather than systems of equations,
thus simplifying the whole process:
Steps expressed as systems of equations:
x 2 y 3z 11
y 2 z 3
3 y 5z 13
Toggle slides
1 2 3 11
back and forth to
compare before 0 1 2 3
and changes 0 3 5 13
Matrices and Gauss-Jordan
Every step in the Gauss-Jordan elimination method can be
expressed with matrices, rather than systems of equations,
thus simplifying the whole process:
Steps expressed as systems of equations:
x 7 z 17
y 2 z 3
3 y 5 z 13
Toggle slides
1 0 7 17
back and forth to
compare before 0 1 2 3
and changes 0 3 5 13
Matrices and Gauss-Jordan
Every step in the Gauss-Jordan elimination method can be
expressed with matrices, rather than systems of equations,
thus simplifying the whole process:
Steps expressed as systems of equations:
x 7 z 17
y 2 z 3
11z 22
Toggle slides
1 0 7 17
back and forth to
compare before 0 1 2 3
and changes 0 0 11 22
Matrices and Gauss-Jordan
Every step in the Gauss-Jordan elimination method can be
expressed with matrices, rather than systems of equations,
thus simplifying the whole process:
Steps expressed as systems of equations:
x 7 z 17
y 2 z 3
z2
Toggle slides
1 0 7 17
back and forth to
compare before 0 1 2 3
and changes 0 0 1 2
Matrices and Gauss-Jordan
Every step in the Gauss-Jordan elimination method can be
expressed with matrices, rather than systems of equations,
thus simplifying the whole process:
Steps expressed as systems of equations:
x 3
y 2 z 3
z2
Toggle slides
1 0 0 3
back and forth to
compare before 0 1 2 3
and changes 0 0 1 2
Matrices and Gauss-Jordan
Every step in the Gauss-Jordan elimination method can be
expressed with matrices, rather than systems of equations,
thus simplifying the whole process:
Steps expressed as systems of equations:
x 3
y 1
z2
Toggle slides
1 0 0 3
back and forth to Row Reduced Form
compare before 0 1 0 1 of the Matrix
and changes 0 0 1 2
Row-Reduced Form of a Matrix
Unit Column
A column in a coefficient matrix is in unit form
if one of the entries in the column is a 1 and the
other entries are zeros.
Pivoting
The sequence of row operations that transforms
a given column in an augmented matrix into a
unit column.
Notation for Row Operations
Operation 1: Ri ↔ Rj to mean:
Interchange row i with row j.
Operation 2: cRi to mean:
replace row i with c times row i.
Operation 3: Ri + aRj to mean:
Replace row i with the sum of row i
and a times row j.
Example
3 5 9
2 3 5
Solution
3 5 9 1
3 R1 1 53 3 R2 2 R1 1 5
3 3
2 3 5 2 3 5 0 1
3 1
The Gauss-Jordan Elimination Method
0 2 19 27
x 2 y 3z 2 1 2 3 2
3x y 2 z 1 3 1 2 1
2 x 3 y 5 z 3 2 3 5 3
xz 0 xz
y z 1 y z 1
A System of Equations
with an Infinite Number of Solutions
Solve the system of equations given by
x 2 y 3 z 2
3x y 2 z 1
2 x 3 y 5z 3
Solution
1 2 3 2
R2 3R1
3 1 2 1
R3 2 R1
2 3 5 3
x 2 y 3 z 2
3x y 2 z 1
2 x 3 y 5z 3
Solution
1 2 3 2
R21 R3R1
0 7 7 7 7 2
R3 2 R1
0 1 1 1
x 2 y 3 z 2
3x y 2 z 1
2 x 3 y 5z 3
Solution
1 2 3 2 R 2 R
11 R 2
0 1 1 1 7 2
R3 R2
0 1 1 1
x 2 y 3 z 2
3x y 2 z 1
2 x 3 y 5z 3
Solution
1 0 1 0 R 2 R
1 2
0 1 1 1
R3 R2
0 0 0
0
x 2 y 3 z 2
3x y 2 z 1
2 x 3 y 5z 3
Solution
1 0 1 0
0 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
x 2 y 3 z 2
3x y 2 z 1
2 x 3 y 5z 3
Solution
This last augmented matrix is in row-reduced form.
Interpreting it as a system of equations gives a system of
two equations in three variables x, y, and z:
1 0 1 0
xz 0
y z 1 0 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
A System of Equations
with an Infinite Number of Solutions
Solve the system of equations given by
x 2 y 3 z 2
3x y 2 z 1
2 x 3 y 5z 3
Solution
Let’s single out a single variable – say, z – and solve for x
and y in terms of it.
If we assign a particular value of z – say, z = 0 – we obtain
x = 0 and y = –1, giving the solution (0, –1, 0).
xz 0 x z (0) 0
y z 1 y z 1 (0) 1 1
A System of Equations
with an Infinite Number of Solutions
Solve the system of equations given by
x 2 y 3 z 2
3x y 2 z 1
2 x 3 y 5z 3
Solution
Let’s single out a single variable – say, z – and solve for x
and y in terms of it.
If we instead assign z = 1, we obtain the solution (1, 0, 1).
xz 0 x z (1) 1
y z 1 y z 1 (1) 1 0
A System of Equations
with an Infinite Number of Solutions
Solve the system of equations given by
x 2 y 3 z 2
3x y 2 z 1
2 x 3 y 5z 3
Solution
Let’s single out a single variable – say, z – and solve for x
and y in terms of it.
In general, we set z = t, where t represents any real number
(called the parameter) to obtain the solution (t, t – 1, t).
xz 0 x z (t ) t
y z 1 y z 1 (t ) 1 t 1
A System of Equations That Has No Solution
x y z 1
3x y z 4
x 5 y 5 z 1
Solution
1 1 1 1
R2 3R1
3 1 1 4
R3 R1
1 5 5
1
x y z 1
3x y z 4
x 5 y 5 z 1
Solution
1 1 1 1
R2 3R1
R
0 4 4 1 3 R2
R3 R1
0 4 4
2
x y z 1
3x y z 4
x 5 y 5 z 1
Solution
1 1 1 1
0 4 4 1 R3 R2
0 0 0 1
x y z 1
3x y z 4
x 5 y 5 z 1
Solution
1 1 1 1
0 4 4 1
0 0 0 1
2 X B 3A
3 4 3 2
2 X 3A B 3
1 2 1 2
9 12 3 2 6 10
3 6 1 2 2 4
1 6 10 3 5
X
2 2 4 1 2
Matrix
Solution
Matrix P has three rows and four columns and hence
has size 3 ☓ 4.
Applied Example: Organizing Production Data
We have Acrosonic’s May output expressed as a matrix:
1 x 3 1 4 z
2
y 1 2 2 1 2
Solution
Since the corresponding elements of the two matrices must
be equal, we find that x = 4, z = 3, and y – 1 = 1, or y = 2.
Addition and Subtraction of Matrices
Find the total output of the company for May and June.
Applied Example: Organizing Production Data
Solution
Expressing the output for May and June as matrices:
✦ The total output of Acrosonic for May is
Solution
The total output of the company for May and June is
given by the matrix
1 2 3
A 4 5 6
7 8 9
Solution
The transpose of the matrix A is
1 4 7
AT 2 5 8
3 6 9
Scalar Product
Same
Size of A (2 ☓3) (3 ☓4) Size of B
(2 ☓4)
Size of AB
Multiplying a Row Matrix by a Column Matrix
If we have a row matrix of size 1☓ n, A [a1 a2 a3 an ]
b1
b
2
And a column matrix of size n ☓ 1, B b3
bn
Size of AB
(1 ☓ 1)
Size of A (1 ☓ n) (n ☓ 1) Size of B
Same
Dimensions of the Product Matrix
More generally, if A is a matrix of size m ☓ n and B is a
matrix of size n ☓ p, then the matrix product of A and B,
AB, is defined and is a matrix of size m ☓ p.
Schematically:
Size of AB
(m ☓ p)
Size of A (m ☓ n) (n ☓ p) Size of B
Same
b11
c11 [a11 a12 a13 ] b21 a11b11 a12b21 a13b31
b31
Mechanics of Matrix Multiplication
To see how to compute the product of a 2 ☓ 3 matrix A and
a 3 ☓ 4 matrix B, suppose
b11 b12 b13 b14
a11 a12 a13
A B b21 b22 b23 b24
a21 a22 a23
b31 b32 b33 b34
Thus,
c11 c12 c13 c14
C
c21 c22 c23 c24
b12
c12 [a11 a12 a13 ] b22 a11b12 a12b22 a13b32
b32
Mechanics of Matrix Multiplication
To see how to compute the product of a 2 ☓ 3 matrix A and
a 3 ☓ 4 matrix B, suppose
b11 b12 b13 b14
a11 a12 a13
A B b21 b22 b23 b24
a21 a22 a23
b31 b32 b33 b34
Thus,
c11 c12 c13 c14
C
c21 c22 c23 c24
b11
c21 [a21 a22 a23 ] b21 a21b11 a22b21 a23b31
b31
Mechanics of Matrix Multiplication
To see how to compute the product of a 2 ☓ 3 matrix A and
a 3 ☓ 4 matrix B, suppose
b11 b12 b13 b14
a11 a12 a13
A B b21 b22 b23 b24
a21 a22 a23
b31 b32 b33 b34
Thus,
c11 c12 c13 c14
C
c21 c22 c23 c24
Other entries are computed in a similar manner.
Example
1 3 3
3 1 4
Let A B 4 1 2
1 2 3
2 4 1
Compute AB.
Solution
Since the number of columns of A is equal to the number
of rows of B, the matrix product C = AB is defined.
The size of C is 2 ☓ 3.
Example
1 3 3
3 1 4
Let A B 4 1 2
1 2 3
2 4 1
Compute AB.
Solution
Thus, 1 3 3
3 1 4 c11 c12 c13
C AB 4 1 2
1 2 3 2 4 1 c21 c22
c23
1 0 0
0 1 0
In n rows
0 0 1
n columns
Properties of the Identity Matrix
1 3 1 1 0 0 1 3 1
AI 3 4 3 2 0 1 0 4 3 2 A
1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1
2 4 1 x 6
3 6 5 y 1
1 3 7 z 0
Matrix Representation
A system of linear equations can be expressed in the form
of an equation of matrices. Consider the system
2x 4 y z 6
3 x 6 y 5 z 1
x 3y 7z 0
2 x 4 y z 6
3x 6 y 5z 1
x 3 y 7 z 0
A1 A AA1 I n
is called the inverse of A.
Not every matrix has an inverse.
✦ A square matrix that has an inverse is
said to be nonsingular.
✦ A square matrix that does not have an
inverse is said to be singular.
Example: A Nonsingular Matrix
1 2 1 2 1
The matrix A has a matrixA 3 1
3 4 2 2
as its inverse.
This can be demonstrated by multiplying them:
1 2 2
1
1 1 0
AA 1
I
3 4 2 2 0 1
3
1 2 1 1 2 1 0
A A 3 1 I
2 2 3 4 0 1
Example: A Singular Matrix
0 1
The matrix B does not have an inverse.
0 0
1a b
If B had an inverse given by B where
c d
a, b, c, and d are some appropriate numbers, then by
definition of an inverse we would have BB–1 = I.
That is
0 1 a b 1 0
0 0 c d 0 1
c d 1 0
0 0 0 1
implying that 0 = 1, which is impossible!
Finding the Inverse of a Square Matrix
2 1 1 1 0 0
3 2 1 0 1 0
2 1 2 0 0 1
Example
2 1 1
Find the inverse of the matrix A 3 2 1
2 1 2
Solution
And use the Gauss-Jordan elimination method to reduce it
to the form [I | B]:
2 1 1 1 0 0
R1 R2
3 2 1 0 1 0
Toggle slides
2 1 2 0 0 1
back and forth to
compare before
and changes
Example
2 1 1
Find the inverse of the matrix A 3 2 1
2 1 2
Solution
And use the Gauss-Jordan elimination method to reduce it
to the form [I | B]:
1 1 0 1 1 0 R1
R R
3R
3 2 1 0 1 0 12 2 3
Toggle slides
2 1 2 0 0 1 R3 2 R1
back and forth to
compare before
and changes
Example
2 1 1
Find the inverse of the matrix A 3 2 1
2 1 2
Solution
And use the Gauss-Jordan elimination method to reduce it
to the form [I | B]:
1 1 0 1 1 0 R1R1R2
R R3R
0 1 1 3 2 0 2 2 3
Toggle slides
0 1 2 2 2 1 RR332RR21
back and forth to
compare before
and changes
Example
2 1 1
Find the inverse of the matrix A 3 2 1
2 1 2
Solution
And use the Gauss-Jordan elimination method to reduce it
to the form [I | B]:
1 0 1 2 1 0 RR1 RR2
1 R 3
0 1 1 3 2 0 R2 R 2
3
Toggle slides
0 0 1 1 0 1 R3 R2
back and forth to
compare before
and changes
Example
2 1 1
Find the inverse of the matrix A 3 2 1
2 1 2
Solution
And use the Gauss-Jordan elimination method to reduce it
to the form [I | B]:
1 0 0 3 1 1 R R
1 3
0 1 0 4 2 1 R2 R3
Toggle slides
0 0 1 1 0 1
back and forth to
compare before B
and changes
In
Example
2 1 1
Find the inverse of the matrix A 3 2 1
2 1 2
Solution
Thus, the inverse of A is the matrix
3 1 1
A1 4 2 1
1 0 1
A Formula for the Inverse of a 2 ☓ 2 Matrix
Let
a b
A
c d
Suppose D = ad – bc is not equal to zero.
Then A–1 exists and is given by
11 d b
A
D c a
Example
1 2
Find the inverse of A
3 4
Solution
We first identify a, b, c, and d as being 1, 2, 3, and 4
respectively.
We then compute
D = ad – bc = (1)(4) – (2)(3) = 4 – 6 = – 2
Example
1 2
Find the inverse of A
3 4
Solution
Next, we substitute the values 1, 2, 3, and 4 instead of
a, b, c, and d, respectively, in the formula matrix
d b
c a
1 2
Find the inverse of A
3 4
Solution
Finally, multiplying this matrix by 1/D, we obtain
11 d b 1 4 2 2 1
A 3
D c a 2 3 1 2 12
Using Inverses to Solve Systems of Equations
2x y z 1
3x 2 y z 2
2 x y 2 z 1
Solution
Write the system of equations in the form AX = B where
2 1 1 x 1
A 3 2 1 X y B 2
2 1 2 z 1
Example
Solve the system of linear equations
2x y z 1
3x 2 y z 2
2 x y 2 z 1
Solution
Find the inverse matrix of A:
2 1 1 x 1 3 1 1
A 3 2 1 X y B 2 A1 4 2 1
2 1 2 z 1 1 0 1
Example
Solve the system of linear equations
2x y z 1
3x 2 y z 2
2 x y 2 z 1
Solution
Finally, we write the matrix equation X = A–1B and multiply:
x 3 1 1 1
y 4 2 1 2
z 1 0 1 1
Example
Solve the system of linear equations
2x y z 1
3x 2 y z 2
2 x y 2 z 1
Solution
Finally, we write the matrix equation X = A–1B and multiply: