Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2015 / Prelims / Mathematics I / 2 / b / Solution

Writing the unknown vector as $(x,y,z{)}^T$, the first two linear equations give $x=z-1$ and $y=z-\beta$. Substitution into the third givesThus, when $\alpha \ne 2$, put $t=-\beta /(\alpha -2)$. There is exactly one solution:When $\alpha =2$, the remaining equation is $0=-\beta$. HenceThe second case is an affine line in a vector space, so it contains infinitely many solutions. These cases exhaust all real numbers $\alpha ,\beta$.