Classifying Systems of Linear Equations afridiimran94@yahoo.com
Types of Systems There are 3 different types of systems of linear equations 3 Different Systems: Consistent Inconsistent dependent
Type 1: Consistent-independent A system of linear equations having exactly one solution is described as being consistent. y The system has exactly one solution at the point of intersection x
Type 2: Inconsistent A system of linear equations having no solutions is described as being inconsistent. y The system has no solution, the lines are parallel x Remember, parallel lines have the same slope
Type 3: Consistent-dependent A system of linear equations having an infinite number of solutions is described as being dependent. y The system has infinite solutions, the lines are identical x
So basically…. If the lines have the same y-intercept b, and the same slope m, then the system is dependent If the lines have the same slope m, but different y-intercepts b, the system is inconsistent If the lines have different slopes m, the system is consistent
Example 1 To solve, rewrite each equation in the form y = mx +b (1) (2) x + 5y = 9 3x – 2y = 12 Isolating y in line (1) Isolating y in line (2) x + 5y = 9 3x – 2y = 12 -2y = -3x + 12 5y = -x + 9
What type of system is it? What is the slope and y-intercept for line (1)? What is the slope and y-intercept for line (2)? Since the lines have different slopes they will intersect. The system will have one solution and is classified as being consistent.