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Exercise 1054Linear algebra › Matrices and linear systemsHigh schoolAdded 3 Nov 2026

Solving a linear system by Gauss-Jordan

#linear system#Gauss-Jordan#row reduction

Statement

Solve the system
{x+2y+z=42x+5y−z=7x+y+3z=6\begin{cases} x + 2y + z = 4 \\ 2x + 5y - z = 7 \\ x + y + 3z = 6 \end{cases}

Hint

Write the augmented matrix and reduce it to row echelon form.

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Solution

Augmented matrix.
(121425−171136).\left(\begin{array}{ccc|c} 1 & 2 & 1 & 4 \\ 2 & 5 & -1 & 7 \\ 1 & 1 & 3 & 6 \end{array}\right).

Elimination. L2←L2−2L1L_2 \leftarrow L_2 - 2L_1, L3←L3−L1L_3 \leftarrow L_3 - L_1:
(121401−3−10−122).\left(\begin{array}{ccc|c} 1 & 2 & 1 & 4 \\ 0 & 1 & -3 & -1 \\ 0 & -1 & 2 & 2 \end{array}\right).
L3←L3+L2L_3 \leftarrow L_3 + L_2:
(121401−3−100−11).\left(\begin{array}{ccc|c} 1 & 2 & 1 & 4 \\ 0 & 1 & -3 & -1 \\ 0 & 0 & -1 & 1 \end{array}\right).

Back-substitution. From the third row, z=−1z = -1. From the second, y−3(−1)=−1y - 3(-1) = -1, so y=−4y = -4. From the first, x+2(−4)+(−1)=4x + 2(-4) + (-1) = 4, so x=13x = 13.

Conclusion. (x,y,z)=(13,−4,−1)(x,y,z) = (13, -4, -1).