Linear Algebra and Its Applications
Sixth Edition, Global Edition
Chapter 1
Linear Equations
in Linear Algebra
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Section 1.5: Solution Sets Of Linear
Systems
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Homogeneous Linear Systems (1 of 5)
• A system of linear equations is said to be homogeneous if it can be written
in the form Ax = 0, where A is an m n matrix and 0 is the zero vector in 𝑹𝒎
• Such a system Ax = 0 always has at least one solution, namely, x = 0 (the
zero vector in 𝑹𝒏
• This zero solution is usually called the trivial solution.
• The homogeneous equation Ax = 0 has a nontrivial solution if and only if the
equation has at least one free variable.
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Homogeneous Linear Systems (2 of 5)
• Example 1: Determine if the following homogeneous system has a
nontrivial solution. Then describe the solution set.
3 x1 + 5 x2 − 4 x3 = 0
−3 x1 − 2 x2 + 4 x3 = 0
6 x1 + x2 − 8 x3 = 0
• Solution: Let A be the matrix of coefficients of the system and row
reduce row the augmented matrix A 0 to echelon form:
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Homogeneous Linear Systems (3 of 5)
3 5 −4 0 3 5 −4 0 3 5 −4 0
−3 −2 4 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 0
6 1 −8 0 0 −9 0 0 0 0 0 0
• Since x3 is a free variable, Ax = 0 has nontrivial solutions (one for
for each choice of x3 .)
• Continue the row reduction of A 0 to reduced echelon form:
1 0 − 4 3 0 x1 − 4 / 3 x3 = 0
0 1 0 0 x2 = 0
0 0 0 0 0=0
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Homogeneous Linear Systems (4 of 5)
4
• Solve for the basic variables x1 and x2 to obtain x1 = x3 , x2 = 0,
3
with x3 free.
• As a vector, the general solution of Ax = 0 has the form given below.
x1 4 3 x3 4 3 4 / 3
x = x2 = 0 = x3 0 = x3 v, where v = 0
x3 x3 1 0
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Homogeneous Linear Systems (5 of 5)
• Here x3 is factored out of the expression for the general solution
vector.
• This shows that every solution of Ax = 0 in this case is a scalar
multiple of v.
• The trivial solution is obtained by choosing x3 = 0.
• Geometrically, the solution set is a line through 0 in .3
See the figure below.
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Parametric Vector Form
• The equation of the for x = su + tv (𝑠, 𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑅) is called a parametric
vector equation of the plane.
• In Example 1, the equation x = x3 v ( with x3 free), or x = tv (with t in
𝑅 is a parametric vector equation of a line.
• Whenever a solution set is described explicitly with vectors as in Example
1, we say that the solution is in parametric vector form.
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Solutions Of Nonhomogeneous
Systems (1 of 9)
• When a nonhomogeneous linear system has many solutions,
the general solution can be written in parametric vector form as
one vector plus an arbitrary linear combination of vectors that
satisfy the corresponding homogeneous system.
• Example 2: Describe all solutions of Ax = b, where
3 5 −4 7
A = −3 −2 4 and b = −1
6 1 −8 −4
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Solutions Of Nonhomogeneous
Systems (2 of 9)
• Solution: Row operations on A 0 produce
4
1 0 − −1
4
x1 − x3 = −1
3 5 −4 7 3
−3 −2 4 −1 3
0 1 0 2 , x2 = 2 .
6 1 −8 −4 0 0 0 0
0=0
4
• Thus x1 = −1 + x3 , x2 = 2, and x3 is free.
3
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Solutions Of Nonhomogeneous
Systems (3 of 9)
• As a vector, the general solution of Ax = b has the form
given below.
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Reasonable Answers
• Verify your solution is correct:
3 5 −4 −1 4 / 3
−3 −2 4 2 + x 0
3
6 1 −8 0 1
−1 4 / 3 7 0 7
= A 2 + x3 A 0 = −1 + x3 0 = −1
0 1 −4 0 −4
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Solutions Of Nonhomogeneous
Systems (4 of 9)
• The equation x = p + x3 v , or, writing t as a general parameter,
x = p + tv ( t in R ) - - - - (1)
describes the solution set of Ax = b in parametric vector form.
• The solution set of Ax = 0 has the parametric vector equation
x = tv ( t in R ) - - - - ( 2)
[with the same v that appears in (1)].
• Thus the solutions of Ax = b are obtained by adding the vector p to the
solutions of Ax = 0.
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Solutions Of Nonhomogeneous
Systems (5 of 9)
• The vector p itself is just one particular solution of Ax = b [corresponding to
t=0
• Now, to describe the solution of Ax = b geometrically, we can think of vector
addition as a translation.
• Given v and p in 𝑅 2 or 𝑅 3 the effect of adding p to v is to move v in a
direction parallel to the line through p and 0.
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Solutions Of Nonhomogeneous
Systems (6 of 9)
• We say that v is translated by p to v + p. See the following figure.
• If each point on a line L in 𝑅2 or 𝑅3 is translated by a vector p, the
result is a line parallel to L. See the following figure.
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Solutions Of Nonhomogeneous
Systems (7 of 9)
• Suppose L is the line through 0 and v, described by
equation (2).
• Adding p to each point on L produces the translated line
described by equation (1).
• We call (1) the equation of the line through p parallel to
v.
• Thus the solution set of Ax = b is a line through p parallel
to the solution set of Ax = 0. The figure on the next slide
illustrates this case.
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Solutions Of Nonhomogeneous
Systems (8 of 9)
• The relation between the solution sets of Ax = b and Ax =
0 shown in the figure above generalizes to any consistent
equation Ax = b, although the solution set will be larger
than a line when there are several free variables.
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Solutions Of Nonhomogeneous
Systems (9 of 9)
• Theorem 6: Suppose the equation Ax = b is consistent
for some given b, and let p be a solution. Then the
solution set of Ax = b is the set of all vectors of the form
w = p + v h , where v h is any solution of the homogeneous
equation Ax = 0.
• This theorem says that if Ax = b has a solution, then the
solution set is obtained by translating the solution set of
Ax = 0 using any particular solution p of Ax = b for the
translation.
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Writing A Solution Set (Of A Consistent
System) In Parametric Vector Form
1. Row reduce the augmented matrix to reduced echelon
form.
2. Express each basic variable in terms of any free
variables appearing in an equation.
3. Write a typical solution x as a vector whose entries
depend on the free variables, if any.
4. Decompose x into a linear combination of vectors (with
numeric entries) using the free variables as parameters.
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