Write your system with all three letters and their coefficients showing even when the coefficient is 0, 1 or -1:When we write that system as a matrix equation we have: Now you have to calculate the inverse of this matrix, which is called the "coefficient matrix" because it consists of all the coefficients of the three letters: Do you know how to find the inverse of a matrix? If not post again as we'll show you how. I will just assume you can find that the inverse is this matrix. I'll color it red. It is: Next we left multiply both sides of this matrix equation: by that red inverse matrix and get this equation: Now I will assume that you know how to multiply two matrices. If you don't know how, then post again asking how to. When you multiply the red matrices by the black matrices just to the right of each red one, you get this: Notice that when you multiply the inverse of a matrix by the matrix of which it is the inverse you get the identity matrix, which has 1's on the diagonal and 0's elsewhere. Now if you multiply the two matrices on the left you get: and so x=3, y=1, and z=2. Edwin