Augmented matrix ($[A\mid b]$)

The augmented matrix of a linear system $Ax=b$ appends the right-hand side as one extra column. Elementary row operations preserve its solution set. The linear system is consistent exactly when the coefficient matrix rank equals the augmented matrix rank, because this is equivalent to $b$ lying in the span of the columns of $A$. A larger augmented matrix rank produces a zero coefficient row with a nonzero right-hand side during Gaussian elimination.