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E
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ADVANCED G
MATHEMATICS FOR
IE 7
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LECTURE 4
 SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS USING MATRICES AND DETERMINANTS 4
The rules for performing operations on matrices are called elementary row
operations, and they are given in the following theorem:

1. Interchanging any 2 rows

2. Multiplying one of the rows by a non-zero scalar
3. Adding or subtracting the scalar multiple of one row to another row.

If we have an augmented matrix of a system of linear equations, each of

the following operations produces a matrix of an equivalent system of linear
equations

Consider the following system of linear equations:

4𝑥 − 2𝑦 − 3𝑧 = 8
5𝑥 + 3𝑦 − 4𝑧 = 4
6𝑥 − 4𝑦 − 5𝑧 = 12

The augmented matrix for the system is:

4 −2 −3 8
[5 3 −4| 4 ]
6 −4 −5 12

Gauss-Jordan Method

Gauss-Jordan method, also known as Gauss-Jordan elimination, is an

algorithm that can be used to solve systems of linear equations and to find the
inverse of any invertible matrix. It relies upon the three elementary row operations
one can use on a matrix.

STEPS:

1. Multiply the top row by a scalar so that top row's leading entry (also known
as the pivot, is the first non-zero entry in a row) becomes 1.
2. Add/subtract multiples of the top row to the other rows so that all other
entries in the column containing the top row's leading entry are all zero.
3. Repeat the previous steps until the left hand side of the augmented matrix
(a matrix of numbers in which each row represents the constants from one
equation and each column represents all the coefficients for a single
variable) becomes an identity matrix.

Consider the following system of linear equations:

4𝑥 − 2𝑦 − 3𝑧 = 8
5𝑥 + 3𝑦 − 4𝑧 = 4
6𝑥 − 4𝑦 − 5𝑧 = 12

The augmented matrix for the system is:

4 −2 −3 8
[5 3 −4| 4 ]
6 −4 −5 12

IENG 70 – Advanced Mathematics for IE 1

 SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS USING MATRICES AND DETERMINANTS 4
Multiply the first row 𝑟1 by a scalar so it’s leading entry becomes 1
1
4 −2 −3 8 4
𝑅1
[5 3 −4| 4 ]
6 −4 −5 12

1 −1/2 −3/4 2
[5 3 −4 | 4 ]
6 −4 −5 12

Add/subtract multiples of the top row to the other rows so that all other
entries in the column containing the top row's leading entry are all zero.

1 −1/2 −3/4 2
[5 3 −4 | 4 ] −5𝑅1 + 𝑅2

6 −4 −5 12 −6𝑅1 + 𝑅3

1 −1/2 −3/4 2
[0 11/2 −1/4| −6]
0 −1 −1/2 0

Repeat the previous steps until the left hand side of the augmented matrix
becomes an identity matrix.

1 −1/2 −3/4 2
2
[0 11/2 −1/4| −6] 11
𝑅2

0 −1 −1/2 0
1
1 −1/2 −3/4 2 2
𝑅2 + 𝑅1

[0 1 −1/22| −12/11]
𝑅2 + 𝑅3
0 −1 −1/2 0

1 0 −17/22 16/11
[0 1 −1/22 | −12/11] 11
− 𝑅3
0 0 −6/11 −12/11 6

17
1 0 −17/22 16/11 22
𝑅3 + 𝑅1

[0 1 −1/22 | −12/11] 1
𝑅3 + 𝑅2
22
0 0 1 2
𝒙 𝒚 𝒛
1 0 0 3
[0 1 0| −1]
0 0 1 2

IENG 70 – Advanced Mathematics for IE 2

 SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS USING MATRICES AND DETERMINANTS 4
Cramer’s Rule

i. 2 unknowns

Suppose we have a system of 2 linear equations in 2 variables x and y

𝑎 𝑥 + 𝑏1 𝑦 = 𝑐1
{ 1
𝑎2 𝑥 + 𝑏2 𝑦 = 𝑐2

where none of 𝑎1 , 𝑏1 , 𝑎2 𝑜𝑟 𝑏2 is equal to zero, let

𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑐 𝑏1 𝑎 𝑐1
𝐷=| | 𝐷𝑥 = | 1 | 𝐷𝑦 = |𝑎1 𝑐2 |
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2 𝑏2 2

If 𝐷 ≠ 0 then the system has a unique solution given by:

𝐷𝑥 𝐷𝑦
𝑥= 𝑦=
𝐷 𝐷

For the determinants defined in Cramer’s rule for a system of 2 linear

equations,
a. If 𝐷 = 0, and 𝐷𝑦 ≠ 0, then the equations are inconsistent’
b. If 𝐷 = 0 and 𝐷𝑦 = 0 then the equations are dependent

NOTE: dependent/ inconsistent means there is no solution set for which

the second equation of a given system is a true statement.

Example: Find the solution set of the system using Cramer’s rule.

2𝑥 − 5𝑦 = 16
1. {
4𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 6

𝑎 𝑏1
𝐷=| 1 |
𝑎2 𝑏2

2 −5
𝐷=| |
4 3

𝐷 = (2)(3) − (4)(−5)
𝐷 = 6 − (−20)
𝐷 = 26

𝑐 𝑏1
𝐷𝑥 = | 1 |
𝑐2 𝑏2

16 −5
𝐷𝑥 = | |
6 3

𝐷𝑥 = (16)(3) − (6)(−5)
𝐷𝑥 = 48 − (−30)
𝐷𝑥 = 78

IENG 70 – Advanced Mathematics for IE 3

 SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS USING MATRICES AND DETERMINANTS 4
𝑎1 𝑐1
𝐷𝑦 = |𝑎 𝑐2 |
2

2 16
𝐷𝑦 = | |
4 6

𝐷𝑦 = (2)(6) − (4)(16)
𝐷𝑦 = 12 − 64
𝐷𝑦 = −52

𝐷𝑥 78
𝑥= = =𝟑
𝐷 26

𝐷𝑦 −52
𝑦= = = −𝟐
𝐷 26

ii. 3 unknows

Suppose we have a system of 3 linear equations in 3 variables 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧

𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑏1 𝑦 + 𝑐1 𝑧 = 𝑑1
{𝑎2 𝑥 + 𝑏2 𝑦 + 𝑐2 𝑧 = 𝑑2
𝑎3 𝑥 + 𝑏3 𝑦 + 𝑐3 𝑧 = 𝑑3

𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑐1 𝑑1 𝑏1 𝑐1
Then 𝐷 = |𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2 | 𝐷𝑥 = |𝑑2 𝑏2 𝑐2 |
𝑎3 𝑏3 𝑐3 𝑑3 𝑏3 𝑐3

𝑎1 𝑑1 𝑐1 𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑑1
𝐷𝑦 = |𝑎2 𝑑2 𝑐2 | 𝐷𝑧 = |𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑑2 |
𝑎3 𝑑3 𝑐3 𝑎3 𝑏3 𝑑3

If 𝐷 ≠ 0, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛
𝐷𝑥 𝐷𝑦 𝐷𝑧
𝑥= 𝑦= 𝑧=
𝐷 𝐷 𝐷

Example: Find the solution set of the system using Cramer’s rule.

4𝑥 − 2𝑦 − 3𝑧 = 8
1. { 5𝑥 + 3𝑦 − 4𝑧 = 4
6𝑥 − 4𝑦 − 5𝑧 = 12

𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑐1
𝐷 = |𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2 |
𝑎3 𝑏3 𝑐3

4 −2 −3 4 −2
𝐷 = |5 3 −4| 5 3 |
6 −4 −5 6 −4

𝐷 = [(4)(3)(−5) + (−2)(−4)(6) + (−3)(5)(−4)] − [(6)(3)(−3) + (−4)(−4)(4)

+ (−5)(5)(−2)]

IENG 70 – Advanced Mathematics for IE 4

 SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS USING MATRICES AND DETERMINANTS 4
𝐷 = (−60 + 48 + 60) − (−54 + 64 + 50)
𝐷 = 48 − 60
𝐷 = −12

𝑑1 𝑏1 𝑐1
𝐷𝑥 = |𝑑2 𝑏2 𝑐2 |
𝑑3 𝑏3 𝑐3

8 −2 −3 8 −2
𝐷𝑥 = | 4 3 −4| 4 3|
12 −4 −5 12 −4

𝐷𝑥 = [(8)(3)(−5) + (−2)(−4)(12) + (−3)(4)(−4)] − [(12)(3)(−3)

+ (−4)(−4)(8) + (−5)(4)(−2)]
𝐷𝑥 = (−120 + 96 + 48) − (−108 + 128 + 40)
𝐷𝑥 = 24 − 60
𝐷𝑥 = −36

𝑎1 𝑑1 𝑐1
𝐷𝑦 = |𝑎2 𝑑2 𝑐2 |
𝑎3 𝑑3 𝑐3

4 8 −3 4 8
𝐷𝑦 = |5 4 −4| 5 4 |
6 12 −5 6 12

𝐷𝑦 = [(4)(4)(−5) + (8)(−4)(6) + (−3)(5)(12)] − [(6)(4)(−3)

+ (12)(−4)(4) + (−5)(5)(8)]
𝐷𝑦 = (−80 − 192 − 180) − (−72 − 192 − 200)
𝐷𝑦 = −452 − (−464)
𝐷𝑦 = 12

𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑑1
𝐷𝑧 = |𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑑2 |
𝑎3 𝑏3 𝑑3

4 −2 8 4 −2
𝐷𝑧 = |5 3 4 |5 3 |
6 −4 12 6 −4

𝐷𝑧 = [(4)(3)(12) + (−2)(4)(6) + (8)(5)(−4)]

− [(6)(3)(8) + (−4)(4)(4) + (12)(5)(−2)]
𝐷𝑧 = (144 − 48 − 160) − (144 − 64 − 120)
𝐷𝑧 = −64 − (−40)
𝐷𝑧 = −24

IENG 70 – Advanced Mathematics for IE 5

 SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS USING MATRICES AND DETERMINANTS 4
𝐷𝑥 −36
𝑥= = =𝟑
𝐷 −12
𝐷𝑦 12
𝑦= = = −𝟏
𝐷 −12

𝐷𝑧 −24
𝑧= = =𝟐
𝐷 −12

IENG 70 – Advanced Mathematics for IE 6