Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/ia/paper-1/2b/i/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 ia Paper 1 2B i Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The coefficient matrix has determinantA square linear system has a unique solution for every right-hand side precisely when its coefficient matrix is an invertible matrix. Here a unique solution exists exactly when , for every real .
For an explicit Gaussian elimination, subtract twice the second equation from the third, then use the second equation, obtaining and . The first equation determinesand the preceding formulas determine . When this last coefficient vanishes; the next parts determine compatibility rather than dividing by zero.
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