Solve Matrix Equations: Ax=b | Help with A, b, x

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The discussion revolves around solving the matrix equation Ax=b, where A has a zero determinant, indicating infinite solutions. The user finds a parameterized solution x=(0, 5/9, 1)^T that satisfies the reduced system but not the original, raising confusion about the relationship between the two systems. It is clarified that the kernel of the matrix contains the vector (1, 5, 9), and the user has incorrectly scaled the x_1 component in their parameterization. The key takeaway is that while the reduced system may yield valid solutions, they must also satisfy the original system, highlighting the importance of careful parameterization. Understanding the kernel's role is crucial for resolving the discrepancies in solutions.
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Hi, all. I'm in desperate need of assistance with a matrix I can't get my head around of. I want to solve a system of equations of the type Ax=b, where

<br /> A=\begin{pmatrix}<br /> 2 &amp; 5 &amp; -3 \\<br /> 1 &amp; -2 &amp; 1 \\<br /> 7 &amp; 4 &amp; -3<br /> \end{pmatrix}<br />

and where

<br /> b=\begin{pmatrix}<br /> -2 \\<br /> -1 \\<br /> -7 <br /> \end{pmatrix}<br />



that is, b is the negative of the first column. Written as it is above, A has zero determinant and the determinant formed when thek^{th} column of A is substituted by the vector b is clearly zero as well. A theorem says that in this case the system has infinite solutions. If one reduces the system to reduced row-echelon form the solutions can be parameterized as, for example, x_3=t,x_2=5t/9,x_1=t−1. An immediate solution by inspection is x=(−1,0,0)^T which one obtains letting t=0.

But let's give another value of t, for example, t=1 which gives x=(0,5/9,1)^T. This is one of the parameterized solutions and yet it does not satisfy the original system. It does, however, satisfy the reduced system obtained from the original by gaussian elimination and should be equivalent, i.e.,

<br /> \begin{cases}<br /> x_1-x_3 &amp;=-1\\<br /> 9x_2-5x_3 &amp; = 0<br /> \end{cases}<br />


But shouldn't my parameterized solution satisfy both original and reduced systems, no matter what? Yet, the only satisfying solution for the original system seems to be x=(−1,0,0)^T. What am I not seeing here?

Thanks in advance.
 
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The vector

<br /> \left(\begin{array}{c}<br /> 1 \\ 5 \\ 9 \\<br /> \end{array}\right)<br />

is contained in the kernel of the mentioned matrix, and all other elements of the kernel can be obtained by scaling this. It seems you have attempted to scale this by a factor \frac{t}{9} with a real coefficient t, but you have made a mistake with the x_1 component.
 
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Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?

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