Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1
Dr. H. Schellinx
Linear
equations
A
bit
of
terminology
In
order
to
be
able
to
apply
mathematical
techniques
to
problem
solving
we
need
to
translate
problems
into
mathematical
language,
which
uses
algebraic
expressions.
An
algebraic
expression
is
a
combination
of
variables
and
numbers
by
means
of
the
usual
algebraic
operations
of
addition,
multiplication,
exponentiation
and
their
inverses.
Variables
(also
called
the
unknowns)
are
letters
(like
x
or
y
or
t
or
v)
that
represent
some
unknown
quantity.
Addition
symbols
chop
algebraic
expressions
into
parts
that
we
call
terms.
" 7%
7
( = a + b + $ ' )
is
an
algebraic
expression.
It
is
a
combination
# x&
x
7
of
three
terms:
a ,
b
and
.
The
variables
are
a,
b
and
x.
x
Example
-
a + b
A
term
without
variables
is
called
a
constant.
Two
algebraic
expressions
that
are
joined
by
an
equality
sign
(=)
form
an
(algebraic)
equation.
2
Example
-
t +
v
= z 2
is
an
equation.
It
consists
of
the
two
algebraic
expressions
3
v
t 2 + and
z 2 .
The
algebraic
expression
to
the
left
of
the
equality
sign
is
a
term,
3
v
which
is
the
square
root
of
yet
another
algebraic
expression
( t 2 + ),
which
in
turn
is
a
3
v
combination
of
the
terms
t 2
and
.
The
algebraic
expression
to
the
right
of
the
equality
3
sign
is
a
combination
of
the
terms
z
and
2.
The
second
of
these
terms,
2,
is
a
constant.
Linear
equations
7
7x + y = z
2
x 7 + 29y = 17
The
following
are
examples
of
algebraic
equations
that
are
not
linear
equations:
9 = x 2 + y 2
19 x.y = 123
y = 17 2x + w
Exercise
1
-
Explain
why
the
first
three
examples
are
linear
equations,
and
why
the
last
three
examples
are
not.
For
each
of
the
equations,
indicate
which
are
the
constants.
A
solution
of
an
algebraic
equation
consists
in
a
series
of
numbers
that,
when
substituted
for
the
variables
in
the
equation,
give
rise
to
a
true
statement:
the
result
of
the
substitution
is
an
identity.
To
solve
an
equation
means:
find
all
possible
solutions,
i.e.
find
all
the
numbers
that,
when
substituted
for
the
variables
in
the
equation,
give
rise
to
a
true
statement.
Example
-
The
ordered
pair
or
tuple
(x,y)
=
(1,1)
[i.e.
the
numbers
x
=
1
and
y
=
1]
is
a
solution
of
the
linear
equation
x
+
4y
=
5.
But
it
is
not
the
only
solution.
For
example,
also
the
tuples
(5,0)
and
(0,
1.25)
are
solutions.
Exercise
2
-
Can
you
find
all
solutions
(we
will
often
say:
the
solution)
of
the
linear
equation
x
+
4y
=
5?
Exercise
3
-
For
the
following
algebraic
expressions:
find
the
terms,
the
variables
and
the
constants.
If
the
expression
is
an
equation,
is
it
a
linear
equation?
If
it
is
not,
explain
why.
Can
you
solve
the
equations?
a.
33 + 42
1
z2
x + + 7
10
16
3
c.
a + = 1
b
d.
8p + sin( ) = 0
b.
e.
a b
f.
3! = + 1
cos(x) 3y =
g.
Exercise
4
-
Is
( x 1)
t
2
A
linear
equation
with
n
different
variables,
say
x1, x2 , x3,..., xn ,
can
always
be
written
in
the
form
a1 x1 + a2 x2 + a3 x3 +... + an xn = c ,
where
the
ai
are
numbers;
they
are
called
the
coefficients
of
the
equation.
Also
c
is
a
number.
It
is
the
constant
of
the
equation.
A
linear
equation
of
the
form
a1 x1 + a2 x2 + a3 x3 +... + an xn = c is
said
to
be
in
standard
form.
3
4
x + 0.7 = x
5
5
d.
2x 6 = 2x + 4(x 2)
e.
0.06(a + 200) + 0.1a = 172
Exercise
6
-
Translate
the
following
problem
into
mathematical
language,
by
writing
it
as
two
linear
equations
with
two
unknowns,
c
and
t.
Such
a
pair
of
equations
is
also
called
a
system
of
linear
equations.
Can
you
solve
this
system?
A
student
has
a
car
loan
(c)
charging
0.75%
interest
per
month
and
a
tuition
loan
(t)
charging
0.5%
interest
per
month.
How
much
does
she
owe
on
each
account
if
she
pays
a
total
of
395.50
monthly
interest
on
a
total
debt
of
62,200?
Linear
equations
with
one
unknown
Linear
equations
with
only
one
variable
are
the
simplest
ones.
We
can
always
write
such
an
equation
in
the
standard
form
ax = b .
Here
x
is
the
only
variable
(the
unknown).
The
coefficient
a
and
the
constant
b
are
both
numbers.
1. If
a 0 ,
the
equation
has
precisely
one
solution:
x =
b
.
a
Recall
that
the
root
or
zero
of
a
function
f(x)
is
a
member
x
of
the
domain
of
f
such
that
f(x)
=
0
(we
say
that
f(x)
vanishes
at
x).
The
solution
of
the
linear
equation
with
one
unknown
ax = b
is
the
root
of
the
linear
function
f (x) = ax b .
In
the
two
dimensional
Euclidean
plane,
using
a
rectangular
coordinate
system,
the
graph
of
this
function
is
the
straight
line
represented
by
the
equation
y = ax b .
The
coefficient
a
is
the
slope
of
the
line.
It
indicates
how
steep
the
line
is.
If
the
slope
is
positive
(a
>
0),
you
will
see
that
the
line
is
going
up
when
you
move
along
the
horizontal
(x-)axis
from
the
left
to
the
right
(from
West
to
East).
If
the
slope
is
negative
(a
<
0),
you
will
see
the
line
is
going
down
when
you
move
along
the
x-axis
from
the
left
to
the
right
(from
West
to
East).
The
constant
b
is
called
the
lines
y-intercept:
it
tells
us
where
the
line
crosses
the
vertical
(y-)axis.
The
solution
of
the
equation
is
the
point
where
the
line
crosses
the
x-axis
of
our
rectangular
coordinate
system:
it
is
the
x-intercept.
As
an
example,
look
at
the
following
linear
equation
with
one
unknown:
2x = 4 .
The
corresponding
linear
function
is
f (x) = 2x 4 ,
which
has
as
its
graph
the
line
y = 2x 4 .
The
solution
of
the
equation
is
the
zero
of
the
function,
i.e.
the
point
where
the
line
crosses
the
x-axis:
(2,0).
There
are
many
kinds
of
often
recurring
practical
problems
that
are
most
easily
solved
by
interpreting
them
in
the
form
of
a
linear
equation
with
one
unknown.
Here
are
a
few
examples.
You
may
remember
them
from
the
Intermediate
Algebra
course:
Problem
1.
(Uniform
Motion
Problem)
A
cyclist
leaves
his
training
base
for
a
morning
workout,
riding
at
the
rate
of
18
kilometers
per
hour.
One
hour
later,
his
support
staff
leaves
the
base
in
a
car,
going
45
kilometers
per
hour
in
the
same
direction.
How
long
will
it
take
the
support
staff
to
catch
up
with
the
cyclist?
Solution:
Suppose
that
it
takes
the
staff
x
hours
to
catch
up
with
the
cyclist.
As
their
cars
speed
is
45
km/h,
the
distance
travelled
by
the
support
staff
in
x
hours
equals
45x
kilometres.
The
cyclist
left
one
hour
earlier.
When
the
staffs
car
catches
up
with
him,
he
has
travelled
a
distance
of
18(x+1)
kilometres.
The
two
distances
have
to
be
equal,
so
the
linear
equation
that
we
need
to
solve
is
45x = 18(x +1) ,
which
is
equivalent
to
the
standard
form
27x = 18 .
We
therefore
find
that
the
support
staff
catches
up
with
the
cyclist
after
18/27
hours
=
2/3
hours
=
40
minutes.
Problem
2.
(Simple
Investment
Problem)
An
investment
club
invested
part
of
100.000
at
9%
annual
interest,
and
the
rest
at
8%.
If
the
annual
income
from
these
investments
was
8.600,
how
much
was
invested
at
8%?
Solution:
Suppose
that
the
investment
club
invested
x
euros
at
8%
annual
interest.
Then
the
club
invested
100.000
x
euros
at
9%
annual
interest.
The
linear
equation
that
we
need
to
solve
is 0, 08x + 0, 09(100.000 x) = 8.600 ,
which
is
equivalent
to
the
standard
form
0, 01x = 400 .
We
therefore
find
that
the
investment
club
invested
40.000
at
8%.
Problem
3.
(Percent
Mixture
Problem)
A
dairy
mixes
milk
with
4%
of
butterfat
and
milk
with
1%
of
butterfat
to
get
milk
with
2%
of
butterfat.
How
much
of
the
4%
butterfat
milk
does
the
dairy
need
to
mix
with
how
much
of
the
1%
butterfat
milk
to
produce
120
liters
of
milk
with
2%
of
butterfat?
Solution:
Suppose
the
dairy
needs
x
liters
of
4%
butterfat
milk
to
produce
120
liters
of
2%
butterfat
milk.
Then
it
needs
120
x
liters
of
1%
butterfat
milk.
The
amount
of
butterfat
in
the
2%
mix
has
to
be
equal
to
the
sum
of
the
amounts
in
the
parts:
the
linear
equation
that
we
need
to
solve
is
0, 04x + 0, 01(120 x) = 0, 02 120 ,
which
is
equivalent
to
the
standard
form
0, 03x = 1, 2 .
Thus
we
find
that
the
dairy
needs
to
mix
40
liters
of
4%
butterfat
milk
with
80
liters
of
1%
butterfat
milk
in
order
to
obtain
120
liters
of
2%
butterfat
milk.
Exercise
7
What
are
the
y-intercept
b
and
the
slope
a
of
the
line
that
connects
the
two
points
(-1,
3)
and
(2,0)?
Exercise
8
(*)
Find
expressions
for
the
y-intercept
b
and
the
slope
a
of
the
line
that
connects
the
two
points
(x1,
y1)
and
(x2,
y2)
in
terms
of
the
coordinates
x1,
y1,
x2
and
y2
of
the
two
points.