What are the steps to solving linear equations?

Answer 1

There are several techniques that can be used to solve linear equations. Some of these techniques include but is not restricted to: Elimination, substitution, matrices graphs and of course computer software. I would describe the elimination process.

If given a pair of equations with Two distinct variables follow the steps below:

Step 1

Multiply or divide (which ever is more appropriate) the entire equation by a factor whose product would bare the same coefficient as the other equation/s.

Step 2

Add or subtract (which ever is appropriate) the equations so that one variable gets eliminated so that an equation involving one variable is remained (a simple equation)

Step 3

Solve the simple equation

step 4

Substitute the value obtained in step 3 into any of the original equation

Step 5

Solve the other simple equation

For Linear equations with 3 or more distinct variables

The process is quite similar, except that you may need to eliminate at least twice before obtaining the readily solvable simple equation.

Though I am not going to extensively explain how to solve linear equations by the other methods, I would like to say that Matrices is a rely neat way of solving

linear equations. This in itself has many routes to solving, some of which are; Row Echelon Form, Reduce Row Echelon form and the application of inverses. For the latter technique to work however, you must have a square matrix, since the inverse of a non-squared matrix is undefined.

From

D. Smart

Tobago Math Teacher