LESSON 2: EQUIVALENT SYSTEM AND ELEMENTARY ROW OPERATION

Equivalent Systems
Two systems of equations involving the same variables are said to be equivalent if
they have the same solution set.

Example: Consider the two systems

3 x 1+2 x 2−x 3=−2 3 x 1+ 2 x 2−x 3=−2

(a) x2=3 (b) − 3 x1 −x2 + x 3=5
2 x 3=4 3 x 1 +2 x 2 + x 3=2

Solution:
(a) System (a) is easy to solve because it is clear from the last two equations that x 2 =
3 and x3 = 2. Using these values in the first equation, we get

3 x 1+2 x 2−x 3=−2

3 x 1+2(3)−(2)=−2
3 x 1+6−2=−2
3 x 1+ 4=−2
3 x 1=−6
x 1=−2

Thus, the solution of the system is (−2, 3, 2)

(b) System (b) seems to be more difficult to solve. Add the first two equations of the
system.

3 x 1 +2 x2 −x3 =−2
−3 x 1−x 2 + x 3=5
x 2=3

Subtract the first and third equations of the system.

3 x 1+2 x 2−x 3=−2

−(3 x 1+ 2 x 2 + x 3=2)
2 x 3=4

Substitute x2 and x3 to any equation to get the value of x1.

 3 x 1+2 x 2−x 3=−2
3 x 1+2(3)−(2)=−2
3 x 1+6−2=−2
3 x 1+ 4=−2
3 x 1=−6
x 1=−2

Thus, the solution of the system is (−2, 3, 2)

Therefore, both systems have the same solution set, {(−2, 3, 2)}.

Elementary Transformations

If we interchange the order in which two equations of a system are written, this
will have no effect on the solution set. The reordered system will be equivalent to the
original system. For example, the systems

x 1+2 x 2=4 4 x 1 + x 2=6

3 x 1−x 2=2 and 3 x 1−x 2=2
4 x 1 + x 2=6 x 1+2 x 2=4

both involve the same three equations and, consequently, they must have the same
solution set.
If one equation of a system is multiplied through by a nonzero real number, this
will have no effect on the solution set, and the new system will be equivalent to the
original system. For example, the systems

x 1 + x 2+ x 3=3 2 x 1 +2 x2 +2 x 3=3
and
−2 x1 −x2 + 4 x 3=1 −2 x1 −x2 + 4 x 3=1

are equivalent. Both sides of the first equation is multiplied by 2 which did not affect the
system and the new system obtained is equivalent with the original system.
If a multiple of one equation is added to another equation, the new system will be
equivalent to the original system. This follows since the n-tuple (x 1,..., xn) will satisfy the
two equations

ai 1 x1 +…+ a¿ x n=b i
a j 1 x 1 +…+ a jn x n=b j

if and only if it satisfies the equations

 a i1 x 1+ …+a¿ x n=bi
¿

To summarize, there are three operations that can be used on a system to obtain
an equivalent system:
1. The order in which any two equations are written may be interchanged.
2. Both sides of an equation may be multiplied by the same nonzero real number.
3. A multiple of one equation may be added to (or subtracted from) another.
Given a system of equations, we may use these operations to obtain an equivalent
system that is easier to solve.

n × n Systems
A system is said to be in strict triangular form if, in the kth equation, the coefficients of
the first k − 1 variables are all zero and the coefficient of xk is nonzero (k =1 , .. . , n).

Example: The system

3 x 1+2 x 2+ x3 =1
x 2−x 3=2
2 x3 =4

is in strict triangular form, since in the second equation the coefficients are 0, 1, −1,
respectively, and in the third equation the coefficients are 0, 0, 2, respectively. Because
of the strict triangular form, the system is easy to solve. It follows from the third equation
that x3 = 2. Using this value in the second equation, we obtain

x 2−2=2 or x 2=4

Using x2 = 4, x3 = 2 in the first equation, we end up with

3 x 1+2 x 2+ x3 =1
3 x 1+2(4)+2=1
3 x 1+10=1
3 x 1=−9
x 1=−3

Thus, the solution of the system is (−3, 4, 2).

Any n × n strictly triangular system can be solved in the same manner as the last
example. First, the nth equation is solved for the value of x n. This value is used in the
(n − 1)st equation to solve for xn−1. The values xn and xn−1 are used in the (n − 2)nd equation to
solve for xn−2, and so on. We will refer to this method of solving a strictly triangular system as
back substitution.

Example: Solve the system

2 x1 −x2 +3 x 3−2 x 4=1
x 2−2 x3 +3 x 4 =2
4 x3 +3 x 4 =3
4 x 4=4
Solution: Using the back substitution, we obtain

4 x 4=4 x 4 =1
4 x3 +3 (1)=3 x 3=0
x 2−2(0)+3(1)=2 x 2=−1
2 x1 −(−1)+3(0)−2(1)=1 x 1=1

Thus, the solution is (1, −1, 0, 1).

Example: Solve the system

L1 x 1+ 2 x 2 + x 3=3
L2 3 x 1−x 2−3 x3 =−1
L3 2 x1 +3 x 2+ x3 =4
We may also use back substitution in this system but we have to reduce the system into strict
triangular form first.

Solution:
Subtracting 3 times the first row from the second row yields
−3 ( x 1+2 x 2+ x 3 =3) −3 x 1−6 x 2−3 x 3=−9
→
3 x 1−2 x 2−3 x 3=−1 3 x 1−x 2−3 x 3=−1
−7 x 2−6 x 3=−10

Subtracting 2 times the first row from the third row yields
−2(x 1+2 x 2+ x3 =3) −2 x 1−4 x 2−2 x3 =−6
→
2 x 1 +3 x2 + x 3=4 2 x1 +3 x 2+ x3 =4
−x 2−x 3=−2

If the second and third equations of our system, respectively, are replaced by these new
equations, we obtain the equivalent system
x 1+ 2 x 2 + x 3=3
 −7 x 2−6 x 3=−10
−x 2−x 3=−2
We have to further reduce the system into strict triangular form by adding the third
equation and -1/7 times the second equation.
−1 6 10
(−7 x 2−6 x 3=−10) x 2 + x 3=
7 → 7 7
−x 2−x 3=−2 −x 2−x 3=−2
−1 −4
x=
7 3 7
If we replace the third equation with the new equation then we end up with the following
strictly triangular system:
x 1+ 2 x 2 + x 3=3
−7 x 2−6 x 3=−10
−1 −4
x=
7 3 7
Using the back substitution, we obtain,
−1 −4 x 3=4
x=
7 3 7
−7 x 2−6(4)=−10 x 2=−2
x 1+ 2(−2)+(4 )=3 x 1=3

Thus, the solution is (3, -2, 4).

Elementary Row Operations

System of linear equations can be solved by performing operations on the augmented
matrix. Corresponding to the three operations used to obtain equivalent systems, the following
row operations may be applied to the augmented matrix:
1. Interchange two rows.
2. Multiply a row by a nonzero real number.
3. Replace a row by its sum with a multiple of another row.

Using the previous example, let us apply these operations to reduce the augmented
matrix of the system to strict triangular system.

( )
x 1 +2 x2 + x 3=3 1 2 1 3
3 x 1−x 2−3 x3 =−1 → 3 −1 −3 −1
2 x1 +3 x 2+ x3 =4 2 3 1 4
 Returning to the example, we find that the first row is used to eliminate the elements in
the first column of the remaining rows. We refer to the first row as the pivotal row. The first
nonzero entry in the pivotal row is called the pivot.

By using row operation III, 3 times the first row is subtracted from the second row

−3 ( 1 2 1 3 )
3 −1 −3 −1
¿
and 2 times the first row is subtracted from the third.
−2 ( 1 2 1 3 )
2 3 1 4
¿
When this is done, we end up with the matrix

At this step we choose the second row as our new pivotal row and apply row operation III to
eliminate the last element in the second column. This time, the pivot is −7 and the quotient
−1 1
= is the multiple of the pivotal row that is subtracted from the third row.
−7 7

6 10
1
7 7
−1
(−7 −6 −10 ) −1 −1 −2
7 →
−1 4
−1 −1 −2 0
7 7

We end up with the matrix

This is the augmented matrix for the strictly triangular system, which is equivalent to the original
system. The solution of the system is easily obtained by back substitution.
Example: Solve the system.
−x 2−x 3 + x 4=0
x 1+ x2 + x 3 + x 4=6
2 x1 + 4 x 2+ x 3−2 x 4 =−1
3 x 1 + x 2−2 x 3 +2 x 4=3

Solution: The augmented matrix for this system is

( )
0 −1 −1 1 0
1 1 1 1 6
2 4 1 −2 −1
3 1 −2 2 3

Since it is not possible to eliminate any entries by using 0 as a pivot element, we will use row
operation I to interchange the first two rows of the augmented matrix. The new first row will be
the pivotal row and the pivot element will be 1:

Row operation III is then used twice to eliminate the two nonzero entries in the first column:

Next, the second row is used as the pivotal row to eliminate the entries in the second column
below the pivot element −1:

Finally, the third row is used as the pivotal row to eliminate the last element in the third column:
This augmented matrix represents a strictly triangular system. Solving by back substitution, we
obtain the solution (2, −1, 3, 2).

Practice
Test your understanding by answering the following problems.
1. Use back substitution to solve each of the following.

x 1−3 x 2=2 x 1+ 2 x 2 +2 x 3 + x 4 =5
a.
2 x 2=6 3 x 2+ x 3−x 4 =1
b.
−x 3 +2 x 4=−1
4 x 4 =4

2. Solve each of the following systems:

x 1−2 x2 =5 x 1+2 x 2−x 3=1
a.
3 x 1+ x2 =1 b. 2 x 1−x 2 + x 3=1
−x 1+ 2 x 2 +3 x3 =7

References