Processing math: 100%
Skip to main content
Library homepage
 

Text Color

Text Size

 

Margin Size

 

Font Type

Enable Dyslexic Font
Mathematics LibreTexts

3: System of Equations

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

Consider the system of n linear equations and n unknowns, given by

a11x1+a12x2++a1nxn=b1a21x1+a22x2++a2nxn=b2an1x1+an2x2++annxn=bn

We can write this system as the matrix equation

Ax=b

with

A=(a11a12a1na21a22a2nan1an2ann),x=(x1x2xn),b=(b1b2bn)

  • 3.1: Gaussian Elimination
    The standard numerical algorithm to solve a system of linear equations is called Gaussian Elimination
  • 3.2: LU Decomposition
  • 3.3: Partial Pivoting
    When performing Gaussian elimination, the diagonal element that one uses during the elimination procedure is called the pivot. To obtain the correct multiple, one uses the pivot as the divisor to the elements below the pivot. Gaussian elimination in this form will fail if the pivot is zero. In this situation, a row interchange must be performed.
  • 3.4: Operation Counts
    To estimate how much computational time is required for an algorithm, one can count the number of operations required (multiplications, divisions, additions and subtractions). Usually, what is of interest is how the algorithm scales with the size of the problem. For example, suppose one wants to multiply two full n×n matrices. The calculation of each element requires n multiplications and n−1 additions, or say 2n−1 operations.
  • 3.5: System of Nonlinear Equations
    A system of nonlinear equations can be solved using a version of Newton’s Method. We illustrate this method for a system of two equations and two unknowns.


This page titled 3: System of Equations is shared under a CC BY 1.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jeffrey R. Chasnov.

  • Was this article helpful?

Support Center

How can we help?