Linear Algebra for Team-Based Inquiry Learning

2022 Edition

Steven Clontz Drew Lewis
University of South Alabama University of South Alabama

August 2, 2022

Section 1.4: Linear Systems with Infinitely-Many Solutions (LE4)

Activity 1.4.1 (~10 min)

Consider this simplified linear system found to be equivalent to the system from Activity 1.3.6 :

\begin{alignat*}{3} x_1 &+ 2x_2 & &= 4\\ & &\phantom{+}x_3 &= -1 \end{alignat*}

Earlier, we determined this system has infinitely-many solutions.

Part 1.

Let \(x_1=a\) and write the solution set in the form \(\setBuilder { \left[\begin{array}{c} a \\ \unknown \\ \unknown \end{array}\right] }{ a \in \IR } \text{.}\)

Activity 1.4.1 (~10 min)

Consider this simplified linear system found to be equivalent to the system from Activity 1.3.6 :

\begin{alignat*}{3} x_1 &+ 2x_2 & &= 4\\ & &\phantom{+}x_3 &= -1 \end{alignat*}

Earlier, we determined this system has infinitely-many solutions.

Part 2.

Let \(x_2=b\) and write the solution set in the form \(\setBuilder { \left[\begin{array}{c} \unknown \\ b \\ \unknown \end{array}\right] }{ b \in \IR } \text{.}\)

Activity 1.4.1 (~10 min)

Consider this simplified linear system found to be equivalent to the system from Activity 1.3.6 :

\begin{alignat*}{3} x_1 &+ 2x_2 & &= 4\\ & &\phantom{+}x_3 &= -1 \end{alignat*}

Earlier, we determined this system has infinitely-many solutions.

Part 3.

Which of these was easier? What features of the RREF matrix \(\left[\begin{array}{ccc|c} \circledNumber{1} & 2 & 0 & 4 \\ 0 & 0 & \circledNumber{1} & -1 \end{array}\right]\) caused this?

Definition 1.4.2

Recall that the pivots of a matrix in \(\RREF\) form are the leading \(1\)s in each non-zero row.

The pivot columns in an augmented matrix correspond to the bound variables in the system of equations (\(x_1,x_3\) below). The remaining variables are called free variables (\(x_2\) below).

\begin{equation*} \left[\begin{array}{ccc|c} \circledNumber{1} & 2 & 0 & 4 \\ 0 & 0 & \circledNumber{1} & -1 \end{array}\right] \end{equation*}

To efficiently solve a system in RREF form, assign letters to the free variables, and then solve for the bound variables.

Activity 1.4.3 (~20 min)

Find the solution set for the system

\begin{alignat*}{6} 2x_1&\,-\,&2x_2&\,-\,&6x_3&\,+\,&x_4&\,-\,&x_5&\,=\,&3 \\ -x_1&\,+\,&x_2&\,+\,&3x_3&\,-\,&x_4&\,+\,&2x_5 &\,=\,& -3 \\ x_1&\,-\,&2x_2&\,-\,&x_3&\,+\,&x_4&\,+\,&x_5 &\,=\,& 2 \end{alignat*}
by doing the following.

Part 1.

Row-reduce its augmented matrix.

Activity 1.4.3 (~20 min)

Find the solution set for the system

\begin{alignat*}{6} 2x_1&\,-\,&2x_2&\,-\,&6x_3&\,+\,&x_4&\,-\,&x_5&\,=\,&3 \\ -x_1&\,+\,&x_2&\,+\,&3x_3&\,-\,&x_4&\,+\,&2x_5 &\,=\,& -3 \\ x_1&\,-\,&2x_2&\,-\,&x_3&\,+\,&x_4&\,+\,&x_5 &\,=\,& 2 \end{alignat*}
by doing the following.

Part 2.

Assign letters to the free variables (given by the non-pivot columns):

\(\unknown = a\) and \(\unknown = b\text{.}\)

Activity 1.4.3 (~20 min)

Find the solution set for the system

\begin{alignat*}{6} 2x_1&\,-\,&2x_2&\,-\,&6x_3&\,+\,&x_4&\,-\,&x_5&\,=\,&3 \\ -x_1&\,+\,&x_2&\,+\,&3x_3&\,-\,&x_4&\,+\,&2x_5 &\,=\,& -3 \\ x_1&\,-\,&2x_2&\,-\,&x_3&\,+\,&x_4&\,+\,&x_5 &\,=\,& 2 \end{alignat*}
by doing the following.

Part 3.

Solve for the bound variables (given by the pivot columns) to show that

\(\unknown = 1+5a+2b\text{,}\)

\(\unknown = 1+2a+3b\text{,}\)

and \(\unknown=3+3b\text{.}\)

Activity 1.4.3 (~20 min)

Find the solution set for the system

\begin{alignat*}{6} 2x_1&\,-\,&2x_2&\,-\,&6x_3&\,+\,&x_4&\,-\,&x_5&\,=\,&3 \\ -x_1&\,+\,&x_2&\,+\,&3x_3&\,-\,&x_4&\,+\,&2x_5 &\,=\,& -3 \\ x_1&\,-\,&2x_2&\,-\,&x_3&\,+\,&x_4&\,+\,&x_5 &\,=\,& 2 \end{alignat*}
by doing the following.

Part 4.

Replace \(x_1\) through \(x_5\) with the appropriate expressions of \(a,b\) in the following set-builder notation.

\begin{equation*} \setBuilder { \left[\begin{array}{c} x_1 \\ x_2 \\ x_3 \\ x_4 \\ x_5 \end{array}\right] }{ a,b\in \IR } \end{equation*}

Remark 1.4.4

Don't forget to correctly express the solution set of a linear system. Systems with zero or one solutions may be written by listing their elements, while systems with infinitely-many solutions may be written using set-builder notation.

  • Inconsistent: \(\emptyset\) or \(\{\}\) (not \(0\)).

  • Consistent with one solution: e.g. \(\setList{ \left[\begin{array}{c}1\\2\\3\end{array}\right] }\) (not just \(\left[\begin{array}{c}1\\2\\3\end{array}\right]\)).

  • Consistent with infinitely-many solutions: e.g. \(\setBuilder { \left[\begin{array}{c}1\\2-3a\\a\end{array}\right] }{ a\in\IR }\) (not just \(\left[\begin{array}{c}1\\2-3a\\a\end{array}\right]\) ).

Activity 1.4.5 (~15 min)

Show how to find the solution set for the vector equation

\begin{equation*} x_{1} \left[\begin{array}{c} 1 \\ 0 \\ 1 \end{array}\right] + x_{2} \left[\begin{array}{c} 0 \\ 1 \\ -1 \end{array}\right] + x_{3} \left[\begin{array}{c} -1 \\ 5 \\ -5 \end{array}\right] + x_{4} \left[\begin{array}{c} -3 \\ 13 \\ -13 \end{array}\right] = \left[\begin{array}{c} -3 \\ 12 \\ -12 \end{array}\right]\text{.} \end{equation*}

Activity 1.4.6

Consider the following system of linear equations.

\begin{equation*} \begin{matrix} x_{1} & & & - & 2 \, x_{3} & = & -3 \\ 5 \, x_{1} & + & x_{2} & - & 7 \, x_{3} & = & -18 \\ 5 \, x_{1} & - & x_{2} & - & 13 \, x_{3} & = & -12 \\ x_{1} & + & 3 \, x_{2} & + & 7 \, x_{3} & = & -12 \\ \end{matrix} \end{equation*}

Part 1.

Explain how to find a simpler system or vector equation that has the same solution set.

Activity 1.4.6

Consider the following system of linear equations.

\begin{equation*} \begin{matrix} x_{1} & & & - & 2 \, x_{3} & = & -3 \\ 5 \, x_{1} & + & x_{2} & - & 7 \, x_{3} & = & -18 \\ 5 \, x_{1} & - & x_{2} & - & 13 \, x_{3} & = & -12 \\ x_{1} & + & 3 \, x_{2} & + & 7 \, x_{3} & = & -12 \\ \end{matrix} \end{equation*}

Part 2.

Explain how to describe this solution set using set notation.