Using Gauss-Jordan for an infinite-solutions system

2.4k Views Asked by At

I'm starting to get the hang of this Gauss-Jordan stuff - well, I have never done a system with infinite solutions, so I decided to try this one. You can scroll to the bottom instead to see my doubts though.

$$\begin {cases} -2x+6y-4z=-28 \\ -x+3y-z = -8 \\5x-15y+10z=70\\ x-3y=2\end {cases}$$


So let's reduce this matrix.

\begin{bmatrix} \color{red}{-2} & 6 & -4 & -28 \\ -1 & 3 & -1 & -8 \\ 5 & -15 & 10 & 70 \\ 1 & -3 & 0 & 2 \end{bmatrix}

Gotta make that $\color{red}{-2}$ into a $1$:

$$-\frac{1}{2}f_1 \implies$$

\begin{bmatrix} 1 & -3 & 2 & 14 \\ \color{red}{-1} & 3 & -1 & -8 \\ 5 & -15 & 10 & 70 \\ 1 & -3 & 0 & 2 \end{bmatrix}

Get rid of $\color{red}{-1}$...

$$f_1+f_2$$

\begin{bmatrix} 1 & -3 & 2 & 14 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 6 \\ \color{red}{5} & -15 & 10 & 70 \\ 1 & -3 & 0 & 2 \end{bmatrix}

The $\color{red}{5}$...

$$-5f_4 + f_3 \implies$$

\begin{bmatrix} 1 & -3 & 2 & 14 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 6 \\ 0 & 0 & 10 & 60 \\ \color{red}{1} & -3 & 0 & 2 \end{bmatrix}

Now for the $\color{red}{1}$:

$$-f_1+f_4\implies$$

\begin{bmatrix} 1 & -3 & 2 & 14 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 6 \\ 0 & 0 & \color{red}{10} & \color{red}{60} \\ 0 & 0 & -2 & -12 \end{bmatrix}

Well, for $\color{red}{10}$ and $\color{red}{60}$,

$$5f_4+f_3\implies$$

\begin{bmatrix} 1 & -3 & 2 & 14 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 6 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & \color{red}{-2} & \color{red}{-12} \end{bmatrix}

Then for $\color{red}{-2}$ and $\color{red}{-12}$,

$$2f_2+f_4\implies$$

\begin{bmatrix} 1 & -3 & \color{red}{2} & 14 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 6 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \end{bmatrix}

Finally, for $\color{red}{2}$,

$$-2f_2+f_1$$

\begin{bmatrix} 1 & -3 & 0 & 2 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 6 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \end{bmatrix}


And it is both staggered and reduced, I think.

With this, I know that the $range$ of both the matrix and its augmented form is 2 - since both have the same range, then there is a solution.

Next, since $2 < 3$ (the number of columns), I can conclude that the system has an infinite number of solutions, right? They depend on $3 - 2 = 1$ parameter.

The solutions are:

$$\begin{cases} x = 2 + 3y \\ y = ? \\ z = 6\end{cases}$$

We assign $y$ some $t \in \mathbb{R}$ and conclude that the solution set is

$$S = \{(2 + 3t, t, 6) | t \in \mathbb{R} \}$$

Is this right? I literally just copied the wording from my book.