Further Results on Systems of Equations and Invertibility

Recall I mentioned earlier that a system of linear equations has no

solutions, one solution, or infinitely many solutions. How do we
show this?
How do you show a set is infinite? One way is to show that the set
is described in a way that ets a different element of the set for each
value of a !arameter in the descri!tion. For e"am!le, the followin
set is infinite# $ %&'( ) ( is a real number *.
+heorem# Every system of linear equations has no solutions, one
solution, or infinitely many solutions.
,roof#
Su!!ose -" . b is a system of equations. /Recall this is another
way to re!resent the eneral system of equations.0
It is sufficient to show that if -" . b has two distinct solutions,
then it must have infinitely many solutions.
Su!!ose "
1
and

"
2
are solutions and "
1

"
2
.
-1"
1
2 . b and -1"
2
2 . b
3et "
0
. "
1
4 "
2
5
-1"
0
2 . -1"
1
4 "
2
2 . -1"
1
2 4 -1"
2
2 . b 4 b . 5
6laim# Every vector in the form "
1
& ( "
0
is a solution to -" . b.
-1"
1
& ("
0
2 . -"
1
& -1("
0
2 . b & (-"
0
. b & (5 . b

$"
1
& ("
0
) ( is a real number* is an infinite set of solutions to -" .b
7uestion# 8iven a matri" -, for what values of b can we find a
solution to -" . b.
,artial answer.
+heorem# If - is an invertible n"n matri", then for each n"9 matri"
b, the system -" . b has e"actly one solution, " . -
-1
b.
,roof# -
-1
b is a solution since -1-
-1
b2 . 1- -
-1
2b . Ib . b
If y is any :other: solution then
-y . b
-
-1
1-y2 . -
-1
b
1-
-1
-2y . -
-1
b
Iy . -
-1
b
y . -
-1
b so y is the solution we already have.
+his theorem can be used to solve systems of equations with the
same coefficients and different constants.
;"
1
& "
3
. b
1

;"
1
& "
2
4 "
3
. b
2

% "
1
& "
2
4 "
3
. b
3

; 5 9
- . ; 9 49
% 9 49
5 49 9
-
-1
. 9 ' 4<
9 ; 4;
9
b . ;
%
Solution for this b is -
-1
b
5 49 9 9 9
9 ' 4< ; . 49
9 ; 4; % 49
,ut in a different b and et solution for those constants.
-!!lications to codes and business.
=ote# If you had >ust a few to solve you could aument the
coefficient matri" with each b as column.
+heorem# If - and ? are n"n matrices then#
a2 If ?- . I then ? . -
-1

b2 If -? . I then ? . -
-1
,roof of a2
If we (new -
-1
e"isted then
1?-2-
-1
. I-
-1
?1--
-1
2 . -
-1
?I . -
-1
? . -
-1
How we show - is invertible?
?y :theorem: - is invertible iff -" . 5 has only the trivial solution
Su!!ose -" . 5.
" . I" . 1?-2" . ?1-"2 . ?152 . 5 /so " solution im!lies ".50
@e can e"tend our bi theorem.
Theorem: If - is and n"n matri" then the followin are equivalent#
a2 - is invertible.
b2 -" . 5 has only the trivial solution.
c2 - is row equivalent to the identity.
d2 - is e"!ressible as a !roduct of elementary matrices.
e2 -" . b is consistent for all n"9 matrices b.
f2 -" . b has e"actly one solution for all n"9 matrices b.
,roof# / af fe ea0
af done earlier
fe obvious
ea -" . 9 solves call it "
1
5
#
5 E"!lain in class
+heorem# -, ? n"n matrices and -? invertible. +hen - and ? are
invertible.
,roof. If ?" . 5 then -?" . 5. Since -? is invertible it must
have only the trivial solution so " . 5. So ?" . 5 has only the trivial
solution and ? is invertible.
- . -I . -1??
-1
2 . 1-?2?
-1
the !roduct of two invertible matrices
so it is invertible.
Recall the question we raised# :for what b is -" . b consistent?:
If - is square and invertible, then we (now that there is a unique
solution for all bAs.
@hat if - is not square or square but not invertible?
How do we answer it? 8auss4Bordan Reduction
"
1
&;"
2
& "
3
. b
1


"
2
& "
3
. b
2

"
1
& <"
2
& %"
3
. b
3

+he aument matri" for this system row reduces to
9 ; 9 b
1

5 9 9 b
2

5 5 5 b
3
4 b
1
4;b
2

So to be consistent we must have b
3
4 b
1
4;b
2
. 5.

Or, b
3
. b
1
& ;b
2

for e"am!le 9 9
9 or ;
% '