Linear Algebra Fall 2023

Homework 3

Solution

Section 1.1
6a.
Solution. We have the linear system of two equations for four unknown x1 . x2 , x3
and x4 is given by: (
3x2 − x3 − x4 = −1
5x1 + 2x2 − 3x4 = −6

12.
Solution. Rewrite the system of equations to augmented matrix form and conduct
the row operation.
" # " #
2 −3 a R2 ←R2 −2R1 2 −3 a
−−−−−−−→
4 −6 b 0 0 b − 2a

• The linear system has no solution when b − 2a ̸= 0

• It is impossible for the system of equations to have a unique solution.
• The matrix has infinitely many solutions when b − 2a = 0 ⇒ b = 2a □

16a.
Solution. Rewrite the system of equations to augmented matrix form and conduct
the row operation:
" # " #
6 2 −8 R 2 − 1
R 1 6 2 −8
−−−−2−→
3 1 −4 0 0 0
Since the last row is always satisfied with all values of x1 and x2 , the linear system
has infinitely many solutions. Thus:
4 1
3x1 + x2 = −4 ⇒ x1 = − − x2
3 3
We set the value of x2 as an arbitrary parameter x2 = t
4 1
⇒ x1 = − − t
3 3
Hence, the parametric solution of x1 and x2 is (x1 , x2 ) = − 43 − 13 t, t


□

1
20a.
Solution. We rewrite the augmented matrix to the system of equations problem:

( (
3x − 4y = k y = 34 x − 41 k
⇔
−6x + 8y = 5 y = 34 x + 85

The augmented matrix corresponds to a consistent linear system when the two linear
functions intersect at one point. Thus,
3 1 3 5
x − k = x + ⇒ k = −2.5
4 4 4 8
Hence, when k = −2.5, the matrix is consistent. □

26.
Solution. Since the parabola passes through the three points, we substitute the
coordinates to the quadratic equation as follows:

a + b + c = 1


4a + 4b + c = 4

a − b + c = 1


Three non-parallel lines in three-dimensional space typically intersect at a single

point. In this case, each equation represents a line in three-dimensional space, and
their intersection represents the unique solution to the system. Therefore, we would
expect this system of equations to have a unique solution. □

TF.
Solution.
a) True. A homogeneous system of linear equations is always consistent since the
zero solution, which is always a solution to the system, is always a solution to that
system.

c) True. We examine the system of equations and solve for k:

( (
x−y =3 y =x−3
⇔
2x − 2y = k y = x − 21 k

Thus,
1
x−3=x− k ⇒k =6
2
If k = 6, then every pair of (x, y) with x = y + 3 is a solution. However, if k ̸= 6,
no pair (x, y) satisfies both equations. In other words, the lines represented by these

2
equations have the same slope and are either non-intersecting or coincide with each
other. They cannot intersect at a single point only.

e) False. A single linear equation with two or more unknowns can have infinitely
many solutions if the equation is dependent. This means that the equation is a linear
combination of other equations in the system.

g) True. Elementary row operations are a set of three operations that can be per-
formed on a matrix to transform it into an equivalent matrix.

Section 1.2
2.

Solution. We arrange the type of matrix as follows:

• Row echelon form: a, c, d

• Both: g

• Neither: b, e □

10.

Solution. We rewrite the system of equations into augmented matrix form. Then,
we conduct the following operations:
     
2 2 2 0 R ←1R 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0
 1 2 1   R2 ←R2 +2R1 
−2 5 2 1 −−−− −→ −2 5 2 1 −−−−− −−→ 0 7 4 1
 
    
8 1 4 −1 8 1 4 −1 8 1 4 −1
     
3 1
1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 −
R3 ←R3 −8R1   R2 ← 1 R2   R ←R −R2  7 7
−−−−−−−→ 0 7 4 1 −−−−−7−−→ 0 1 47 71  −−1−−−1−−→ 0 1 47 1
7
R3 ←R3 +R2
0 −7 −4 −1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

The matrix is in row echelon form. We convert the matrix into the system of equa-
tions:

3 1
x 1 = − 7 x 3 − 7
( 
x1 + 37 x3 = − 71

4 1
⇒ x2 = − 47 x3 + 17
x2 + 7 x3 = 7 
x 3 = x 3


Let x3 be an arbitrary value x3 = t, the parametric solution is (x1 , x2 , x3 ) =

3 1 4 1


−7t − 7, −7t + 7, t □

24.

3
Solution.
a) The matrix is consistent since a solution can be found by finding a value of x3
and then using it to find x1 , x2 and x3 .
  
1 a1 a2 b 1 x 3 = 1


0 1 a3 b2  ⇒ x2 = b2 − a3
 
0 0 1 1

x 1 = b 1 − a2 − a1


The system has no free variables and therefore has a unique solution.

b) The system is consistent, but the solution is not unique. The free variables in the
last column indicate there are an infinite number of solutions. But the system does
have at least one valid solution.

c) The system is inconsistent. Row reducing gives:

 
1 0 0 0
0 0 0 1
 
0 0 0 0

Since there is no solution that satisfies all the equations, the system is inconsistent.

d) The system is inconsistent. Row reducing gives:

 
1 a1 a2 a3
0 0 0 0
 
0 0 0 0

The bottom two rows reduce to all zeros. The reason is that the bottom two rows
reducing to all zeros indicate there is no solution that can satisfy both equations
1x + 0y + 0z = 1 and 1x + 0y + 0z = 1 simultaneously.

Since there is no solution that satisfies all the equations, the system is inconsistent.□

TF.
Solution.
b) False. Consider a 2 × 2 matrix A below that is in row echelon form:
" # " #
1 2 R2 ←R2 −R1 1 2
−−−−−−−→
0 1 −1 −1

Matrix A is no longer in row echelon form.

e) True. According to the listing of the properties of row echelon form, the leading
entry (that is the left-most nonzero entry) of every nonzero row is to the right of
the leading entry of every row above.

f) False. This is the property of the reduced row echelon form. Row echelon form
only requires all entries in a column below a leading coefficient to be zeros.

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g) True. When the reduced row echelon form contains n leading 1’s, it means that
there is a pivot position in each row of the matrix. This implies that each variable
in the system of equations corresponds to a pivot position, and there are no free
variables. In other words, each variable has a unique value that satisfies all the
equations.

h) False. If the row echelon matrix of a homogenous augmented matrix A has a row
of zeroes, then there exists a nontrivial solution. As a counterexample, consider:
 
1 0 0
A = 0 1 0
 
0 0 0

Notice that matrix A has only the trivial solution (every column has a pivot, so the
system has no free variables), yet A has a row of zeroes. □

38.

Solution. Given ax2 + ay 2 + bx + cy + d = 0, divide both sides of the equation by

coefficient a yields:
b c d
x2 + y 2 + x + y + = 0
a a a
.
b c d
We assign a
= p, a
= q and a
= r:

x2 + y 2 + px + qy + r = 0

The circle goes through three points, we substitute the values of (x, y) as a system
of equations of p, q and r:

2p − 7q − r = 53


4p − 5q − r = 41

4p − 3q + r = −25


We rewrite the equation system as an augmented matrix and apply Gauss-Jordan

elimination to find p, q and r:
     
2 −7 −1 53 R ← 1 R 1 −72
−1
2
53
2  R ←R −4R 
1 −72
−1
2
53
2 
 1 2 1  2 2 1
4 −5 −1 41 −−−−−→ 4 −5 −1 41 −−−−−−−→ 0 9 1 −65

4 −3 1 −25 4 −3 1 −25 4 −3 1 −25
     
−7 −1 −7 −1
R2 ← 19 R2
1 2 2
53
2
1 2 2
53
2 R ← 16
R
1 −7
2
−1
2
53
2 
 R3 ←R3 −11R2  3 3
−−−−−−−→ 0 1 19 − 65  −−−−−−−−→ 0 1 19 − 65
9
 −−−−−−→ 0 1 1
− 65
  
R3 ←R3 −4R1 9 9 9 9 
0 11 3 −131 0 0 16 9
− 464
9
0 0 1 −29
     
−7 −1 53 −7
R2 ←R2 − 91 R3 
1 2  R1 ←R1 + 1 R3 
1 0 12 1 0 0 −2
2 2
2
2  R1 ←R1 + 27 R2 
−−−−−−−−→ 0 1 0 −4 −−−−−−−−→ 0 1 0 −4 −−−−−−−−→ 0 1 0 −4

0 0 1 −29 0 0 1 −29 0 0 1 −29

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Thus,

a=1
 
p = −2
 

 
b = −2
q = −4 ⇒

r = −29
 

 c = −4
d = −29
