Linear Algebra and Its Applications (5th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 032198238X
ISBN 13: 978-0-32198-238-4

Chapter 4 - Vector Spaces - 4.6 Exercises - Page 239: 20

Answer

No. It is not possible to change some constants on the equations’ right sides to make the new system inconsistent.

Work Step by Step

A nonhomogeneous system of linear equations is written in the form Ax = b, where A is a matrix of coefficients, x is a vector of unknowns, and b is a vector of constants. If the system has a solution with two free variables, it means that the rank of the coefficient matrix A is less than the number of unknowns - in our case, 8. Specifically, the rank of A must be 6 or less, since there are 6 equations in the system. The rank of A is a property of the coefficients alone and is not affected by the constants on the right side of the equations. Therefore, it is not possible to change the constants in b in such a way that the rank of A becomes greater than 6, which would make the system inconsistent.
Update this answer!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this answer.

Update this answer

After you claim an answer you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.