Daniel Echeverria Candidate Number: 001372001

Mathematics HL Coursework
In this task, I will investigate linear equations, where the constants have well known mathematical patterns. Consider the following 2x2 system of linear equations:
x+2y=3 2x-y=-4

If we examine only the constants we can clearly look at the mathematical pattern with each equation. For the first equation the constants are: 1, 2, 3 the pattern is +1 each time. For the second equation the constants are: 2, -1, -4 the pattern is -3 each time. Therefore the constants of these two equations are in arithmetic progression. We can solve this 2x2 system of linear equations simultaneously. Rearranging Substituting into
6-4y-y=-4 -5y=-10 y=2 x=3-2y 23-2y-y=-4

Substituting back into

x+4=3 x=-1

x+22=3

By displaying these two equations graphically as shown below, we see that the interception of the two lines is at the point (-1, 2) which is the solution of this system of equations, as shown above.

In order to find a relationship I created more similar 2x2 systems, which are in arithmetic progression and solved those using matrices as shown below:
x+3y=52x+0y=-2 1320xy=5-2 A-1B=-12 x=-1 and y=2

5x+10y=1514x+8y=2 510148xy=152 A-1B=-12 x=-1 and y=2

2x+5y=83x+1y=-1 2531xy=8-1 A-1B=-12 x=-1 and y=2

x+6y=117x+4y=1 1674xy=111 A-1B=-12 x=-1 and y=2

For all of these equations the solution is always x=-1 and y=2. We see that all of these equations intersect at the same point (-1, 2).

Now, x=-1 and y=2 is true for all of the equations above, This may not be true for all of the equations that are similar to the ones above where the constants are in an arithmetic progression. Let the first constant of the first equation be a, and we increase the constant by n each time, :
ax+a+ny=a+2n

Now let the second constant of the second equation be b, and we decrease the constant by m each time, :
bx+b-my=b-2m

Now I will solve the two equations simultaneously, like in the first example. Solving for y: x b x a -
nb+may=2nb+ma y=2 always abx+ab+nby=ab+2nb abx+ab-amy=ab-2ma nb+may=2nb+2ma

Solving for x: x (b-m) x (a+n) -

ab-amx+a+nb-my=ab+2nb-ma-2mn ba+bnx+b-ma+ny=ab-2ma+nb-2mn bn+amx=-ma-nb bn+amx=-1ma+nb x=-1 always

Now I will expand this investigation to 3x3 systems which have got the same characteristic as the 2x2, which is that the constants are in arithmetic progression. I examined the following 3x3 systems to look for patterns. I solved them using the GDCs rref (reduced row echelon form).

x+2y+3z=4-3x-6y-9z=-122x+6y+10z=14 GDC:rref123-3-6-926104-1214 10-1012000-230

-4x-2y+0z=23x+2y+z=03x+6y+9z=12 GDC:rref-4-203213692012 101012000-230

2x+5y+8z=113x-y-5z=-95x+3y+1z=-1 GDC:rref2583-1-553111-9-1 101012000-230

-2x+3y+8z=137x+5y+3z=1-1x-6y-11z=-16 GDC:rref-238753-1-6-11131-16 10-1012000-230

Since the last row is only zeros for all the solutions, we can say that the systems are consistent with infinite number of solutions. Let z=t
y +2t=3 y=3-2t x-t=-2 x=t-2

This means that all the lines whose equations are given above meet in the line:
x=t-2 y=3-2t z=t

Now this will be proven through the following conjecture, it applies the same principle used in the 2x2 systems.
abc a+nb-mc+k a+2nb-2mc+2ka+3nb-3mc+3k

abc a+nb-mc+k a+2nb-2mc+2ka+3nb-3mc+3k

abcabcabc abc+nbcabc-macabc+kab abc+2nbcabc2macabc+2kababc+3nbcabc-3macabc+3kabRR*bcRR*acRR*bc

abc00 abc+nbc-mac-nbckab-nbc abc+2nbc-2mac-2nbc2kab-2nbcabc+3nbc3mac3kab-3nbcR2R2-RR3R3-R

abc00 abc+nbc10 abc+2nbc20abc+3nbc30R2R2/(-mac-nbc)R3R3*-macnbc-R2*(kab-nbc)

z=t y=3-2t x=t-2

Now lets consider this 2x2 system:

x+2y=45x-y=15

If we look at the constants, they still follow a mathematical pattern, but this time they are in geometric progression as oppose to arithmetic progression like in the first 2x2 systems. We also notice that when we right these equations in the y=mx+c form as such:
y=-12x+2 y=5x-15

We observer that the relationship between m and c is that they are negative reciprocal of each other.

I created a family of linear equations with the same characteristics of the one above, a variety of equations was necessary in order to spot a pattern. Here is the graphical representation of the equations:

All of the equations put together form this graph, which look like a fuction y2=kx where k is any value. Lets look at the general formula of these equations first. Since it is geometric progression (Un=u*rn-1) the general equations for the two lines would be:
ax+ary=ar2 bx+bsy=bs2

Solving these equations simultaneously. Solving for y: xb xa -

abx+arby=ar2b abx+absy=bs2a bar-basy=bar2-bas2 abr-sy=abr-sr+s y=r+s

The boundary curve can be determined by considering the equation ax+ary=ar2 as a quadratic function of r. Solving for r we find out that r=yy2-4x2 (using the quadratic

formula). This means that r doesnt exist for y2-4x<0. This means that no equation of the form ax+ary=ar2passes through the region y2<-4x.