Solve {l}{x/5-y/4=0}{3x+y/2=17}

$$\left. \begin{array} { l } { \frac { x } { 5 } - \frac { y } { 4 } = 0 } \\ { 3 x + \frac { y } { 2 } = 17 } \end{array} \right.$$

Solve for x, y

$$x=5$$

$$y=4$$

Steps Using Substitution

Consider the first equation. Multiply both sides of the equation by 20, the least common multiple of 5,4.

$$4x-5y=0$$

Consider the second equation. Multiply both sides of the equation by 2.

$$6x+y=34$$

To solve a pair of equations using substitution, first solve one of the equations for one of the variables. Then substitute the result for that variable in the other equation.

$$4x-5y=0,6x+y=34$$

Choose one of the equations and solve it for x by isolating x on the left hand side of the equal sign.

$$4x-5y=0$$

Add 5y to both sides of the equation.

$$4x=5y$$

Divide both sides by 4.

$$x=\frac{1}{4}\times 5y$$

Multiply \frac{1}{4} times 5y.

$$x=\frac{5}{4}y$$

Substitute \frac{5y}{4} for x in the other equation, 6x+y=34.

$$6\times \frac{5}{4}y+y=34$$

Multiply 6 times \frac{5y}{4}.

$$\frac{15}{2}y+y=34$$

Add \frac{15y}{2} to y.

$$\frac{17}{2}y=34$$

Divide both sides of the equation by \frac{17}{2}, which is the same as multiplying both sides by the reciprocal of the fraction.

$$y=4$$

Substitute 4 for y in x=\frac{5}{4}y. Because the resulting equation contains only one variable, you can solve for x directly.

$$x=\frac{5}{4}\times 4$$

Multiply \frac{5}{4} times 4.

$$x=5$$

The system is now solved.

$$x=5,y=4$$

Steps Using Matrices

Consider the first equation. Multiply both sides of the equation by 20, the least common multiple of 5,4.

$$4x-5y=0$$

Consider the second equation. Multiply both sides of the equation by 2.

$$6x+y=34$$

Put the equations in standard form and then use matrices to solve the system of equations.

$$4x-5y=0,6x+y=34$$

Write the equations in matrix form.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}4&-5\\6&1\end{matrix}\right)\left(\begin{matrix}x\\y\end{matrix}\right)=\left(\begin{matrix}0\\34\end{matrix}\right)$$

Left multiply the equation by the inverse matrix of \left(\begin{matrix}4&-5\\6&1\end{matrix}\right).

$$inverse(\left(\begin{matrix}4&-5\\6&1\end{matrix}\right))\left(\begin{matrix}4&-5\\6&1\end{matrix}\right)\left(\begin{matrix}x\\y\end{matrix}\right)=inverse(\left(\begin{matrix}4&-5\\6&1\end{matrix}\right))\left(\begin{matrix}0\\34\end{matrix}\right)$$

The product of a matrix and its inverse is the identity matrix.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}1&0\\0&1\end{matrix}\right)\left(\begin{matrix}x\\y\end{matrix}\right)=inverse(\left(\begin{matrix}4&-5\\6&1\end{matrix}\right))\left(\begin{matrix}0\\34\end{matrix}\right)$$

Multiply the matrices on the left hand side of the equal sign.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}x\\y\end{matrix}\right)=inverse(\left(\begin{matrix}4&-5\\6&1\end{matrix}\right))\left(\begin{matrix}0\\34\end{matrix}\right)$$

For the 2\times 2 matrix \left(\begin{matrix}a&b\\c&d\end{matrix}\right), the inverse matrix is \left(\begin{matrix}\frac{d}{ad-bc}&\frac{-b}{ad-bc}\\\frac{-c}{ad-bc}&\frac{a}{ad-bc}\end{matrix}\right), so the matrix equation can be rewritten as a matrix multiplication problem.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}x\\y\end{matrix}\right)=\left(\begin{matrix}\frac{1}{4-\left(-5\times 6\right)}&-\frac{-5}{4-\left(-5\times 6\right)}\\-\frac{6}{4-\left(-5\times 6\right)}&\frac{4}{4-\left(-5\times 6\right)}\end{matrix}\right)\left(\begin{matrix}0\\34\end{matrix}\right)$$

Do the arithmetic.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}x\\y\end{matrix}\right)=\left(\begin{matrix}\frac{1}{34}&\frac{5}{34}\\-\frac{3}{17}&\frac{2}{17}\end{matrix}\right)\left(\begin{matrix}0\\34\end{matrix}\right)$$

Multiply the matrices.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}x\\y\end{matrix}\right)=\left(\begin{matrix}\frac{5}{34}\times 34\\\frac{2}{17}\times 34\end{matrix}\right)$$

Do the arithmetic.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}x\\y\end{matrix}\right)=\left(\begin{matrix}5\\4\end{matrix}\right)$$

Extract the matrix elements x and y.

$$x=5,y=4$$

Steps Using Elimination

Consider the first equation. Multiply both sides of the equation by 20, the least common multiple of 5,4.

$$4x-5y=0$$

Consider the second equation. Multiply both sides of the equation by 2.

$$6x+y=34$$

In order to solve by elimination, coefficients of one of the variables must be the same in both equations so that the variable will cancel out when one equation is subtracted from the other.

$$4x-5y=0,6x+y=34$$

To make 4x and 6x equal, multiply all terms on each side of the first equation by 6 and all terms on each side of the second by 4.

$$6\times 4x+6\left(-5\right)y=0,4\times 6x+4y=4\times 34$$

Simplify.

$$24x-30y=0,24x+4y=136$$

Subtract 24x+4y=136 from 24x-30y=0 by subtracting like terms on each side of the equal sign.

$$24x-24x-30y-4y=-136$$

Add 24x to -24x. Terms 24x and -24x cancel out, leaving an equation with only one variable that can be solved.

$$-30y-4y=-136$$

Add -30y to -4y.

$$-34y=-136$$

Divide both sides by -34.

$$y=4$$

Substitute 4 for y in 6x+y=34. Because the resulting equation contains only one variable, you can solve for x directly.

$$6x+4=34$$

Subtract 4 from both sides of the equation.

$$6x=30$$

Divide both sides by 6.

$$x=5$$

The system is now solved.

$$x=5,y=4$$