SOLUTION: How do you do row reduction? I have no problem using elimination to find the values of variables in a system and can do so relatively quickly. However, my daughter is struggling

Question 242679: How do you do row reduction? I have no problem using elimination to find the values of variables in a system and can do so relatively quickly. However, my daughter is struggling with math and is trying to learn to handle matrices. I never had these, but can do the adding, multiplying. Now she has to learn row reduction and the book she has really does not explain it well. If you are given what to do it is easy (like when they say "-3R1 +R 2 = R 2), but how do you do it when not given what to do? Is there a set formula or steps to take like add row one to row 3 and replace row 1. I need a simple explanation on how to do this. To me it takes a lot longer to figure the necessary steps by trial and error than to use elimination. I have to be missing something somewhere. The book she is using is "Discovering Advanced Algebra, An Investigative Approach. Frankly I do not what to spend my time investigating math; I just want to know how to do it so I can pass it on to my daughter.
What is the Cramer rule?

Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Please Google "Gaussian Elimination"
and "Cramer Method". You will see
the Wikipedia site which includes
examples of each of the processes.
-----------
I am referring you because these are
rather large topics and I think the
site explanations have been thoughtfully
developed.
---
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Stan H.
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