The matrixis in row echelon form because: (1) every row with any non-zeros has 1 as its as its leftmost non-zero element (called its "leading 1". (2) the leading 1's have no non-zero elements below them, (3) the leading 1 on the 2nd row is farther to the right than the leading row in the 1st row. (4) the only all-zero row is at the bottom. --------------------------------------------------- However, the matrix: is NOT in REDUCED row-echelon form. That's because the leading (red) 1 in the second row has the non-zero (green) 2 ABOVE it. To be in REDUCED row-echelon form, the matrix must be in row echelon form, but also it must have this additional property: The leading 1's must have no non-zero elements ABOVE them. To get it in reduced row-echelon form we'd have to get a zero where the green 2 is. So we'd need to multiply the second row by -2, getting and add it element by element to the first row: Getting: and replace the first row by that and get: Now it's in reduced row-echelon form, because the leading 1's have no elements above or below them, and the 2nd row's leading 1 is further to the right than the 1st row's leading 1. Also the all-zero row is at the bottom. ---------------------------------------- The system of equations for which the given matrix is the augmented matrix is this system: Edwin