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Math 160 2.2-Reduced Row Echelon Form, and Homogeneous Systems

This document discusses reduced row echelon form (RREF) and homogeneous linear systems. It defines RREF as a matrix in row echelon form where each leading entry is 1 and all other entries in its column are 0. The rank of a matrix is the number of leading 1's in its RREF. A homogeneous system always has a solution, called the trivial solution, where all variables are set to 0.

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Joana Marie Perciano
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68 views6 pages

Math 160 2.2-Reduced Row Echelon Form, and Homogeneous Systems

This document discusses reduced row echelon form (RREF) and homogeneous linear systems. It defines RREF as a matrix in row echelon form where each leading entry is 1 and all other entries in its column are 0. The rank of a matrix is the number of leading 1's in its RREF. A homogeneous system always has a solution, called the trivial solution, where all variables are set to 0.

Uploaded by

Joana Marie Perciano
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Math 160
§2.2–Reduced Row Echelon Form,
And Homogeneous Systems

Tom Lewis

Fall Semester
2013

Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Outline

Reduced row echelon form

Homogeneous linear equations


Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Problem
Solve the system of equations represented by the augmented
matrix:  
1 0 2 −5
 2 2 6 −8  .
1 2 7 −9
We will go beyond REF to RREF, reduced row echelon form!

Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Definition
A matrix R is said to be in reduced row echelon form provided that
1. It is in row echelon form;
2. All leading entries are 1, called a leading 1;
3. In a column with a leading 1, all other entries are 0.

Theorem
For any given matrix A there is a unique matrix in RREF that is
row equivalent to A.
Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Definition
The rank of a matrix is the number of leading 1’s in its RREF and
is denoted by rank(A).

Definition
A variable that does not have a leading 1 in its column is called a
free variable. The textbook calls this a parameter.

Example
A
 system of equations
 in the variables x, y , and z has RREF
1 −3 0 2
 0 0 1 3  . The matrix has rank 2 and y is a free variable.
0 0 0 0

Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Problem
Find the rank of the following matrix and identify the free
variables. Describe the solution set of the corresponding system.
 
1 5 2 1 24
 2 10 6 6 68 
1 5 3 3 34
Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Theorem
→
−
Let [A| b ] be a system of m linear equations in n unknowns.
1. The system is consistent if and only if the rank of the matrix
→
−
A is equal to the rank of the augmented matrix [A| b ].
2. If a system of equations is consistent, then

rank(A) + number of free variables = n.

Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Corollary
→
−
Let [A| b ] be a system of m linear equations in n variables. Then
→
− →
−
[A| b ] is consistent for all b if and only if rank(A) = m.

Note
→
−
1. If rank(A) = m, then [A| b ] can be solved for all choices of
→
−
b.
2. If rank A 6= m, this means that there are necessarily some
→
− →
−
choices of b for which the system [A| b ] has no solution!
Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Problem 
1 1 −3
→
−
Let A =  0 1 −1  . For which vectors b ∈ R3 is the
−1 1 1
→
−
system [A| b ] is inconsistent?

Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Definition →
−
The system of equations [A| b ] is called homogeneous provided
→
− →
−
that b = 0 .

Note
Setting each variable equal to 0 gives a solution to a system of
homogeneous linear equations. This is called the trivial solution. In
particular, a homogeneous system is always consistent.
Reduced row echelon form Homogeneous linear equations

Problem
Determine the number of parameters (free variables) in the
homogeneous system:

 x1 + 2x2 + 2x3 + x4 + 4x5 = 0
3x1 + 7x2 + 7x3 + 3x4 + 13x5 = 0
2x1 + 5x2 + 5x3 + 2x4 + 9x5 = 0

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