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 ...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.
