Row Reduction (4)
From an Echelon Form to the Reduced Echelon Form

The colors below mean the following:
Blue=Done Part, Yellow=Current Focus, Pink=Pivot

The Given Matrix
0 0 0 1 2 1 2 -1 0 -1 2 3
0 0 0 -3 -6 -3 -6 3 0 3 -6 -3
0 0 2 -1 3 3 4 -3 -1 0 -4 1
0 0 6 -11 -7 1 -4 -1 0 8 -4 1
0 0 4 -7 -4 -1 4 -3 -7 1 -6 3
0 0 0 0 0 4 -12 4 10 8 -24 -12

Objective: Obtain its reduced echelon form by row operations.

ECHELON FORM
0 0 2 -1 3 3 4 -3 -1 0 -4 1
0 0 0 -3 -6 -3 -6 3 0 3 -6 -3
0 0 0 0 0 -2 6 -2 -5 -4 12 6
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 24 6
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 -1/2 3/2 3/2 2 -3/2 -1/2 0 -2 1/2
0 0 0 1 2 1 2 -1 0 -1 2 1
0 0 0 0 0 1 -3 1 5/2 2 -6 -3
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 -1/2 3/2 3/2 2 -3/2 -1/2 0 -2 1/2
0 0 0 1 2 1 2 -1 0 -1 2 1
0 0 0 0 0 1 -3 1 5/2 2 -6 -3
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Eliminate all nonzero entries above the pivot in Column 12:
Row 1 replaced by Row 1 - (1/2)Row 5
Row 2 replaced by Row 2 - Row 5
Row 3 replaced by Row 3 + 3Row 5
Row 4 replaced by Row 4 - 2Row 5
0 0 1 -1/2 3/2 3/2 2 -3/2 -1/2 0 -2 0
0 0 0 1 2 1 2 -1 0 -1 2 0
0 0 0 0 0 1 -3 1 5/2 2 -6 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 -1/2 3/2 3/2 2 -3/2 -1/2 0 -2 0
0 0 0 1 2 1 2 -1 0 -1 2 0
0 0 0 0 0 1 -3 1 5/2 2 -6 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Row 1 replaced by Row 1 + (1/2)Row 4
Row 3 replaced by Row 3 - (5/2)Row 4
0 0 1 -1/2 3/2 3/2 2 -3/2 0 0 2 0
0 0 0 1 2 1 2 -1 0 -1 2 0
0 0 0 0 0 1 -3 1 0 2 -26 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 -1/2 3/2 3/2 2 -3/2 0 0 2 0
0 0 0 1 2 1 2 -1 0 -1 2 0
0 0 0 0 0 1 -3 1 0 2 -26 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Row 1 replaced by Row 1 - (3/2)Row 3
Row 2 replaced by Row 2 - Row 3
0 0 1 -1/2 3/2 0 13/2 -3 0 -3 41 0
0 0 0 1 2 0 5 -2 0 -3 28 0
0 0 0 0 0 1 -3 1 0 2 -26 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 -1/2 3/2 0 13/2 -3 0 -3 41 0
0 0 0 1 2 0 5 -2 0 -3 28 0
0 0 0 0 0 1 -3 1 0 2 -26 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Row 1 replaced by Row 1 + (1/2)Row 2

REDUCED ECHELON FORM
0 0 1 0 5/2 0 9 -4 0 -9/2 55 0
0 0 0 1 2 0 5 -2 0 -3 28 0
0 0 0 0 0 1 -3 1 0 2 -26 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The five pivots are shown pink.


Remark: In Note (3) From a General Matrix to an Echelon Form, we have seen that even if we start from the same matrix, different choices of row operations may give different echelon forms. The reduced echelon form, however, is unique. The reduced echelon form is independent of the row operations you choose.

1 0 2
3 2 8
1 1 3
R2-3R1  
R3-R1
1 0 2
0 2 2
0 1 1
R3-(1/2)R2
1 0 2
0 2 2
0 0 0
(1/2)R2
1 0 2
0 1 1
0 0 0
(Reduced Echelon Form)

1 0 2
3 2 8
1 1 3
Swap R1 & R3
1 1 3
3 2 8
1 0 2
R2-3R1  
R3-R1  
1 1 3
0 -1 -1
0 -1 -1
R1+R2
 
R3-R2
1 0 2
0 -1 -1
0 0 0
-R2
1 0 2
0 1 1
0 0 0
(Reduced Echelon Form)