Question

how can I turn an augmented matrix into reduced row echelon form?

Answer 1

by using elementary row operations

Answer 2

but what will make it into "reduced form" when it gets the staircase appearance?

Answer 3

show me what you mean, please

Answer 4

it should look like (these wouldnt be the values but something like this

Answer 5

again, you use elementary row operations to do that. do you know what the elementary row operations are?

Answer 6

yes, interchange any two rows
multiply one of the rows by a nonzero constant
add a multiple of one row to another row

Answer 7

have a look at this

Answer 8

it may help you and you save it to your computer so you can always refer to it.

Answer 9

thank you! but when is the matrix considered "reduced?"

Answer 10

row-echelon form is when it is upper triangular.

row-reduced eechelon form is when the matrix part is diagonal (all non-diagonal entries are 0) and the augmented part will contain the solution

Answer 11

so basically I am turning my equation into