Linear Algebra Examples

26 a + 8 b = 28

$26 a + 8 b = 28$ ,

$8 a + 3 b = 9$

Step 1

Find the

$A X = B$ from the system of equations.

$[\begin{array}{c} 26 & 8 \\ 8 & 3 \end{array}] \cdot [\begin{array}{c} a \\ b \end{array}] = [\begin{array}{c} 28 \\ 9 \end{array}]$

Step 2

Find the inverse of the coefficient matrix.

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Step 2.1

The inverse of a

$2 \times 2$ matrix can be found using the formula

$\frac{1}{a d - b c} [\begin{array}{c} d & - b \\ - c & a \end{array}]$ where

$a d - b c$ is the determinant.

Step 2.2

Find the determinant.

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Step 2.2.1

The determinant of a

$2 \times 2$ matrix can be found using the formula

$| \begin{array}{c} a & b \\ c & d \end{array} | = a d - c b$ .

$26 \cdot 3 - 8 \cdot 8$

Step 2.2.2

Simplify the determinant.

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Step 2.2.2.1

Simplify each term.

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Step 2.2.2.1.1

Multiply

$26$ by

$3$ .

$78 - 8 \cdot 8$

Step 2.2.2.1.2

Multiply

$- 8$ by

$8$ .

$78 - 64$

Step 2.2.2.2

Subtract

$64$ from

$78$ .

$14$

Step 2.3

Since the determinant is non-zero, the inverse exists.

Step 2.4

Substitute the known values into the formula for the inverse.

$\frac{1}{14} [\begin{array}{c} 3 & - 8 \\ - 8 & 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.5

Multiply

$\frac{1}{14}$ by each element of the matrix.

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{1}{14} \cdot 3 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot - 8 \\ \frac{1}{14} \cdot - 8 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6

Simplify each element in the matrix.

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Step 2.6.1

Combine

$\frac{1}{14}$ and

$3$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & \frac{1}{14} \cdot - 8 \\ \frac{1}{14} \cdot - 8 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.2

Cancel the common factor of

$2$ .

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Step 2.6.2.1

Factor

$2$ out of

$14$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & \frac{1}{2 (7)} \cdot - 8 \\ \frac{1}{14} \cdot - 8 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.2.2

Factor

$2$ out of

$- 8$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & \frac{1}{2 \cdot 7} \cdot (2 \cdot - 4) \\ \frac{1}{14} \cdot - 8 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.2.3

Cancel the common factor.

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & \frac{1}{2 \cdot 7} \cdot (2 \cdot - 4) \\ \frac{1}{14} \cdot - 8 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.2.4

Rewrite the expression.

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & \frac{1}{7} \cdot - 4 \\ \frac{1}{14} \cdot - 8 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.3

Combine

$\frac{1}{7}$ and

$- 4$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & \frac{- 4}{7} \\ \frac{1}{14} \cdot - 8 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.4

Move the negative in front of the fraction.

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ \frac{1}{14} \cdot - 8 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.5

Cancel the common factor of

$2$ .

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Step 2.6.5.1

Factor

$2$ out of

$14$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ \frac{1}{2 (7)} \cdot - 8 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.5.2

Factor

$2$ out of

$- 8$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ \frac{1}{2 \cdot 7} \cdot (2 \cdot - 4) & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.5.3

Cancel the common factor.

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ \frac{1}{2 \cdot 7} \cdot (2 \cdot - 4) & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.5.4

Rewrite the expression.

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ \frac{1}{7} \cdot - 4 & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.6

Combine

$\frac{1}{7}$ and

$- 4$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ \frac{- 4}{7} & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.7

Move the negative in front of the fraction.

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ - \frac{4}{7} & \frac{1}{14} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.8

Cancel the common factor of

$2$ .

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Step 2.6.8.1

Factor

$2$ out of

$14$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ - \frac{4}{7} & \frac{1}{2 (7)} \cdot 26 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.8.2

Factor

$2$ out of

$26$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ - \frac{4}{7} & \frac{1}{2 \cdot 7} \cdot (2 \cdot 13) \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.8.3

Cancel the common factor.

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ - \frac{4}{7} & \frac{1}{2 \cdot 7} \cdot (2 \cdot 13) \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.8.4

Rewrite the expression.

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ - \frac{4}{7} & \frac{1}{7} \cdot 13 \end{array}]$

Step 2.6.9

Combine

$\frac{1}{7}$ and

$13$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ - \frac{4}{7} & \frac{13}{7} \end{array}]$

Step 3

Left multiply both sides of the matrix equation by the inverse matrix.

$([\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ - \frac{4}{7} & \frac{13}{7} \end{array}] \cdot [\begin{array}{c} 26 & 8 \\ 8 & 3 \end{array}]) \cdot [\begin{array}{c} a \\ b \end{array}] = [\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ - \frac{4}{7} & \frac{13}{7} \end{array}] \cdot [\begin{array}{c} 28 \\ 9 \end{array}]$

Step 4

Any matrix multiplied by its inverse is equal to

$1$ all the time.

$A \cdot A^{- 1} = 1$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} a \\ b \end{array}] = [\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ - \frac{4}{7} & \frac{13}{7} \end{array}] \cdot [\begin{array}{c} 28 \\ 9 \end{array}]$

Step 5

Multiply

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} & - \frac{4}{7} \\ - \frac{4}{7} & \frac{13}{7} \end{array}] [\begin{array}{c} 28 \\ 9 \end{array}]$ .

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Step 5.1

Two matrices can be multiplied if and only if the number of columns in the first matrix is equal to the number of rows in the second matrix. In this case, the first matrix is

$2 \times 2$ and the second matrix is

$2 \times 1$ .

Step 5.2

Multiply each row in the first matrix by each column in the second matrix.

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{3}{14} \cdot 28 - \frac{4}{7} \cdot 9 \\ - \frac{4}{7} \cdot 28 + \frac{13}{7} \cdot 9 \end{array}]$

Step 5.3

Simplify each element of the matrix by multiplying out all the expressions.

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Step 5.3.1

Multiply

$- 16$ by

$7$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{6}{7} \\ \frac{- 112 + 117}{7} \end{array}]$

Step 5.3.2

Add

$- 112$ and

$117$ .

$[\begin{array}{c} \frac{6}{7} \\ \frac{5}{7} \end{array}]$

Step 6

Simplify the left and right side.

$[\begin{array}{c} a \\ b \end{array}] = [\begin{array}{c} \frac{6}{7} \\ \frac{5}{7} \end{array}]$

Step 7

Find the solution.

$a = \frac{6}{7}$

$b = \frac{5}{7}$