Gaussian Elimination Echelon Forms from which the solution x = 1, y = 2,z = 3 became evident. This is an example of a matrix that is in reduced row echelon form. To be of this form, a matrix must have the following properties: 1. Ifa row does not consist entirely of zeros, then the first nonzero number in the row isa 1, We call this a leading 1. 2. If there are any rows that consist entirely of zeros, then they are grouped together at the bottom of the matrix. 3, In any two successive rows that do not consist entirely of zeros, the leading | in the lower row occurs farther to the right than the leading 1 in the higher row. 4, Each column that contains a leading 1 has zeros everywhere else in that column. ‘A matrix that has the first three properties is said to be in row echelon form. (Thus, a matrix in reduced row echelon form is of necessity in row echelon form, but not conversely.)> EXAMPLE 1 Row Echelon and Reduced Row Echelon Form The following matrices are in reduced row echelon form. 10 0 4 100 ooh / 1 | | oOo 0 0 o 1 0 7], fo 1 of, 0 [o 0 1] [oo a] ° ° o 0 0 cone 1 3 0 0 ol’ lo o ‘The following matrices are in row echelon form but not reduced row echelon form, 104-30 7 110 o 1 o 1 6 2], jo ro o 0 o oO 1 5 000 o 0 2 1 0 0. 6 0 -1 0 ool> EXAMPLE 3 Unique Solution Suppose that the augmented matrix for a linear system in the unknowns 21, 2,3, and xy has been reduced by elementary row operations to 1 0 0 0 9 o 1 0 oO =I o Oo 1 0 0 o 0 0 1 5 in reduced row echelon form and corresponds to the equations x 3 x =-1 x 0 m= 5 Thus, the system has a unique solution, namely, xy = 3,4 = —1,.x5 =0,x3 = 5.> EXAMPLE 4 Linear Systems in Three Unknowns In each part, suppose that the augmented matrix for a linear system in the unknowns x, y, and z has been reduced by elementary row operations to the given reduced row echelon form, Solve the system. 1000 1 0 3 -1 1-5 1 4 f@]O 12 0] (wlio 1-4 2} @lo 0 0 0 0001 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Solution (a) ‘The equation that corresponds to the last row of the augmented matrix is Ox +0y +0¢=1 Since this equation is not satisfied by any values of x, y, and z, the system is inconsistent. Solution (b) The equation that corresponds to the last row of the augmented matrix is Ox +0y +02 =0 This equation can be omitted since it imposes no restrictions on x, y, and z; hence, the linear system corresponding to the augmented matrix is xo 43c=-1 yoar= 2Since x and y correspond to the leading 1's in the augmented matrix, we call these the leading variables. The remaining variables (in this case z) are called free variables. Solving for the leading variables in terms of the free variables gives x 1-32 yo2t+ae From these equations we see that the free variable z can be treated as a parameter and assigned an arbitrary value t, which then determines values for x and y. Thus, the solution set ean be represented by the parametric equations x=-l-3, y=2+4 =F By substituting various values for fin these equations we can obtain various solutions of the system, For example, setting ¢ = 0 yields the solution x=-l, y=2, 2=0 and setting ¢ = | yields the solution x=-4, y=6 z=Solution (c) As explained in part (b), we can omit the equations corresponding to the zero rows, in which case the linear system associated with the augmented matrix consists of the single equation x-Sy+o=4 a from which we see that the solution set is a plane in three-dimensional space. Although (1) isa valid form of the solution set, there are many applications in which it is preferable to express the solution set in parametric form, We can convert (1) to parametric form by solving for the leading variable x in terms of the free variables y and z to obtain x=445y—z From this equation we see that the free variables can be assigned arbitrary values, say y =s and z =f, which then determine the value of x. Thus, the solution set can be expressed parametrically as x=4t5s—1, y 2) Formulas, such as (2), that express the solution set of a linear system parametrically have some associated terminology.5 xt mt2y= 8 6 Ix F2y+2y= 0 ax -2et3y= 1 2x +5 + 2r5= 1 Bx, — Tas + 4x = 10 Bm bom t4y=—l Lox- yeh w det yo2— Wwe ax+2y—4c+ w 3x = 3w 8 -2b+3e= 1 3a + 6b ~ 3c = -2 6a + 6b + 3e