[ 1 1 1 |-1] [-1 2 1 | 6] [ 2 -1 3 |15] R1 + R2→R2 means to add row 1 and row 2 and take what you get and replace row 2 with it. So we add row 1 and row 2 R1 = [ 1 1 1 |-1] + R2 = [ -1 2 1 | 6] -------------------- R1+R2 = [ 0 3 2 | 5] Now we replace row 2 with that sum: [1 1 1 |-1] [0 3 2 | 5] [2 -1 3 |15] -2R1+R3→R3 means to multiply R1 by -2 and add it to row 3 and take what you get and replace row 3 by it: So we multiply row 1 by -2 R1 = [ 1 1 1 |-1] ×(-2) ------------------- -2R1 = [ -2 -2 -2 | 2] add to row 3--> R3 = [ 2 -1 3 |15] -------------------- -2R+R3 = [ 0 -3 1 |17] Now we replace row 3 by that result: [1 1 1 |-1] [0 3 2 | 5] [0 -3 1 |17] Edwin