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Understanding Linear Equations

Linear equations can be simple or simultaneous. Simple linear equations have one variable, while simultaneous linear equations have two or more variables. For simultaneous linear equations to have a unique solution, the number of equations must be equal to the number of variables. There are three possible outcomes when solving simultaneous linear equations: 1) a unique solution where the variables are determined, 2) an infinite number of solutions where the equations are not independent, or 3) no solution where the equations are inconsistent. The determinant of the coefficients (a1b2 - a2b1) determines whether the system has a unique solution, infinite solutions, or no solution. If the determinant is not equal to 0, there is a unique solution

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94 views4 pages

Understanding Linear Equations

Linear equations can be simple or simultaneous. Simple linear equations have one variable, while simultaneous linear equations have two or more variables. For simultaneous linear equations to have a unique solution, the number of equations must be equal to the number of variables. There are three possible outcomes when solving simultaneous linear equations: 1) a unique solution where the variables are determined, 2) an infinite number of solutions where the equations are not independent, or 3) no solution where the equations are inconsistent. The determinant of the coefficients (a1b2 - a2b1) determines whether the system has a unique solution, infinite solutions, or no solution. If the determinant is not equal to 0, there is a unique solution

Uploaded by

Mana Gargi
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

QA – Basics

Linear Equation
An equation is a polynomial separated by an equal to sign.
4x = 12
4 +x = 10,
7 – 2x = 5
3x + 4y is not an equation, it’s an expression.
3x + 4y =0 is an equation.

Equations can be divided in the following way:


Equations

Linear Quadratic

Simple Simultaneous Simple Affected


3x  y  7 
3x  2  5   3x 2  5  0 x 2  3x  5  0
 x  2 y  5

Simultaneous Equations

Consistent Inconsistent

Infinite Unique No
Solution solution solution
a1 b1 c1 a1 b1 a1 b1 c1
    
a 2 b2 c 2 a 2 b2 a 2 b2 c 2

Linear Equation
Examples:
i) y - 2x + 1 =2
ii) 3x + 2y - 12 = 4
In the above equations, for every real x, there exists a real number y corresponding to x.

Proprietary and Confidential ABS Classes 1


QA – Basics

Variables: x and y are known as variables here


Coefficients: In the first equation y is multiplied with 1 and x with -2. So 1 and -2 are
coefficients of the first equation. Similarly 3 and 2 are coefficients in the second equation
Linear equation is an algebraic equation in which the highest degree term in the variable or
variables is of the first degree i.e. the highest power of a variable (x, y, z, p, q etc.) is 1.
Simple equations: Have only one variable
Simultaneous equations: Have two variables

Solved Examples:
1) A student gets 4 marks for a correct answer and 1 mark is deducted for a wrong
answer. She attempted 80 questions and got 240 marks. Therefore the number of
correct answers is:
Let the number of right answers be R and number of wrong answers be W.
Therefore R+W = 80 (i)
Also for every right answer she is awarded with 4 marks and for every wrong answer she is
penalized 1 mark
So 4R –W = 240 (ii)
Adding (i) and (ii) we get
5R= 320
OR R= 64
So she did 64 right answers and 16 wrong answers

Simultaneous Linear Equations


The thumb rule is that a unique solution for variables is possible only when the number of
variables is equal to or less than number of equations. So if there are 2 variables we ideally
need 2 equations.
Two linear equations in two variables

Variables: x and y are called variables


Coefficients= a and b are called coefficients
Constant= c is called constant

Consistent System : At least one solution, so it may have one solution or more than one
solution, even infinite number of solutions.
Inconsistent System : No solution.

If there are two simultaneous equations :


a1x + b1y = c1 and a2x + b2y = c2 then

Unique solution Infinite solution No solution

Proprietary and Confidential ABS Classes 2


QA – Basics

≠ ≠
Possible number of solutions
1) One solution for x and y
(a1b2 – a2b1) ≠ 0

For example, consider following equations:


4x + 6y = 10 and 4x – 2y = 2
Solution : x=1 , y=1

a) If but , then y=0


b) If but , then x=0

2) Infinite solutions for x and y


If

In such cases one equations is the multiple of another equation. Basically both the
equations are same. Since the second equations gives no new information and we could
have made it ourselves by multiplying the first equation with a constant number, therefore
2nd equation is of no use to us. Therefore we have 2 variables and one equation, so no
unique value, but infinite values,
3) Zero solution for x and y i.e equations are inconsistent
If

The equation of the type ax + by = c and kax + kby = mc (k≠m) are known as inconsistent
equations.
e.g., 3x + 2y = 8 …. (i)
6x + 4y = 6 ….(ii)
Here coeffecients of x and y (3 and 2) are multiplied with 2 to get the coeffecients of x and y
in the 2nd equation. But the constant has not been multiplied with 2 i.e. constant in the 2 nd
equation is not 8x2=16.
Examples:
1) x + y= 10 and 2x + 2y = 25: No solution
2) 6x + 7y = 8 and 19x + 14y = 16: Unique solution and x=0 and y = 8/7.

Select one of the choice for each of the below:


a) No solution
b) Infinite solution
c) Unique solution
d) More than one but not infinite solution
(A) }

Proprietary and Confidential ABS Classes 3


QA – Basics

(B) }

(C) }

SOLUTION (A)
∴ The system of equations has unique solution.
(B)

∴ The system of equations has no solution.


(C)

∴ The system of equations has infinite number of solution.

Proprietary and Confidential ABS Classes 4

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