Please use the Gauss-Jordan method to solve system of equations 23. 6x-3y = 1 -12x-6y= -2 I thought this one is no solution but the answer (back of the book) is ((23y + 1)/6,y). Why? The system you typed has solution (1/6, 0). Either you mistyped the problem or the book is wrong. A similar system that would have the solution you gave would be: 6x-23y = 1 -12x+46y= -2 29. 4x + 4y - 4z = 24 2x - y + z = -9 x - 2y + 3z = 1 [4 4 -4 | 24] [2 -1 1 | -9] [1 -2 3 | 1] Divide row 1 thru by 4 [4 4 -4 | 24]÷(4) [2 -1 1 | -9] [1 -2 3 | 1] [1 1 -1 | 6] [2 -1 1 | -9] [1 -2 3 | 1] Get a 0 where the 2 is by multiplying row 1 by -2 and adding it to row 2 [2 -1 1|-9]+(-2)·[1 1 -1|6] = [2 -1 1|-9]+[-2 -2 2|-12] = [0 -3 3|-21] [1 1 -1 | 6] [0 -3 3 | -21] [1 -2 3 | 1] Divide row 2 thru by -3 [1 1 -1 | 6] [0 1 -1 | 7] [1 -2 3 | 1] Get a 0 where the 1 is in row 3 column 1 by multiplying row 1 by -1 and adding to row 3: [1 -2 3|1]+(-1)[1 1 -1|6] = [1 -2 3|1]+[-1 -1 1|-6] = [0 -3 4|-5] [1 1 -1 | 6] [0 1 -1 | 7] [0 -3 4 | -5] Get a 0 where the -3 is by multiplying row 2 by 3 and adding to row 3 [0 -3 4|-5]+(3)[0 1 -1|7] = [0 -3 4|-5]+[0 3 -3|21] = [0 0 1|16] [1 1 -1 | 6] [0 1 -1 | 7] [0 0 1 | 16] This matrix represents this system: 1x + 1y - 1z = 6 0x + 1y - 1z = 7 0x + 0y + 1z = 16 or x + y - z = 6 y - z = 7 z = 16 Now back-substitute: Substitute 16 for z in the 2nd equation: y - z = 7 y - 16 = 7 y = 23 Substitute 23 for y and 16 for z in the 1st equation: x + y - z = 6 x + 23 - 16 = 6 x + 7 = 6 x = -1 So the solution is (x, y, z) = (-1, 23, 16) Edwin