next | previous | forward | backward | up | top | index | toc | Macaulay2 web site

solve -- solve a linear equation

Synopsis

Description

(Disambiguation: for division of matrices, which can also be thought of as solving a system of linear equations, see instead Matrix // Matrix. For lifting a map between modules to a map between their free resolutions, see extend.)

There are several restrictions. The first is that there are only a limited number of rings for which this function is implemented. Second, over RR or CC, the matrix A must be a square non-singular matrix. Third, if A and b are mutable matrices over RR or CC, they must be dense matrices.
i1 : kk = ZZ/101;
i2 : A = matrix"1,2,3,4;1,3,6,10;19,7,11,13" ** kk

o2 = | 1  2 3  4  |
     | 1  3 6  10 |
     | 19 7 11 13 |

              3        4
o2 : Matrix kk  <--- kk
i3 : b = matrix"1;1;1" ** kk

o3 = | 1 |
     | 1 |
     | 1 |

              3        1
o3 : Matrix kk  <--- kk
i4 : x = solve(A,b)

o4 = | 2  |
     | -1 |
     | 34 |
     | 0  |

              4        1
o4 : Matrix kk  <--- kk
i5 : A*x-b

o5 = 0

              3        1
o5 : Matrix kk  <--- kk
Over RR or CC, the matrix A must be a non-singular square matrix.
i6 : printingPrecision = 2;
i7 : A = matrix "1,2,3;1,3,6;19,7,11" ** RR

o7 = | 1  2 3  |
     | 1  3 6  |
     | 19 7 11 |

                3          3
o7 : Matrix RR    <--- RR
              53         53
i8 : b = matrix "1;1;1" ** RR

o8 = | 1 |
     | 1 |
     | 1 |

                3          1
o8 : Matrix RR    <--- RR
              53         53
i9 : x = solve(A,b)

o9 = | -.15 |
     | 1.1  |
     | -.38 |

                3          1
o9 : Matrix RR    <--- RR
              53         53
i10 : A*x-b

o10 = | -1.1e-16 |
      | -7.8e-16 |
      | 0        |

                 3          1
o10 : Matrix RR    <--- RR
               53         53
i11 : norm oo

o11 = 7.7715611723761e-16

o11 : RR (of precision 53)
For large dense matrices over RR or CC, this function calls the lapack routines.
i12 : n = 10;
i13 : A = random(CC^n,CC^n)

o13 = | .54+.79i .061+.16i .41+.92i  .74+.94i .75+.24i   .22+.24i .45+.56i
      | .46+.51i .38+.69i  .24+.76i  .12+.83i .48+.65i   .42+.75i .93+.32i
      | .55      .44+.22i  .88+.36i  .17+.59i .91+.18i   .15+.39i .67+.53i
      | .19+.85i .11+.79i  .88+.35i  .39+.26i .041+.038i .65+.96i .47+.92i
      | .46+.61i .65+.31i  .18+.056i .71+.43i .38+.69i   .69+.57i .82+.42i
      | .78+.42i .32+.29i  .17+.72i  .63+.15i .03+.79i   .39+.66i .38+.2i 
      | .94+.47i .97+.01i  .36+.05i  .59+.84i .97+.95i   .22+.3i  .6+.42i 
      | .08+.9i  .78+.01i  .44+.75i  .83+.4i  .43+.68i   .27+.49i .14+.24i
      | .28+.64i .69+.08i  .04+.62i  .36+.68i .22+.66i   .97+.85i .18+.87i
      | .65+.03i .48+.094i .69+.09i  .72+.65i .45+.37i   .18+.22i .59+.47i
      -----------------------------------------------------------------------
      .45+.81i   .84+.08i .19+.72i  |
      .41+.17i   .32+.24i .07+.57i  |
      .2+.12i    .84+.07i .58+.89i  |
      .38+.89i   .5+.83i  .95+.94i  |
      .98+.95i   .73+.4i  .24+.9i   |
      .014+.087i .99+.82i .91+.85i  |
      .061+.18i  .84+.81i .71+.07i  |
      .42+.34i   .85+.56i .22+.095i |
      .33+.074i  .17+.45i .035+.3i  |
      .12+.33i   .23+.7i  .96+.05i  |

                 10          10
o13 : Matrix CC     <--- CC
               53          53
i14 : b = random(CC^n,CC^2)

o14 = | .69+.68i .71+.49i  |
      | .43+.89i .59+.12i  |
      | .88+.24i .69+.22i  |
      | .11+.24i .14+.42i  |
      | .41+.32i .45+.012i |
      | .38+.67i .94+.11i  |
      | .29+.45i .6+.46i   |
      | .79+.5i  .65+.51i  |
      | .12+.56i .9+.47i   |
      | .69+.07i .44+.8i   |

                 10          2
o14 : Matrix CC     <--- CC
               53          53
i15 : x = solve(A,b)

o15 = | .14+.46i    -.31+.44i  |
      | .26+.99i    -1.1-.23i  |
      | 1.1-.68i    .38+.58i   |
      | -.3-.37i    1.1-.88i   |
      | -.54-.15i   -.4-.66i   |
      | -.25-.19i   .37-.35i   |
      | .18+.51i    -.18-.41i  |
      | .43-.36i    .14+1.2i   |
      | .043-.0085i 1+.2i      |
      | -.095-.042i -.45+.059i |

                 10          2
o15 : Matrix CC     <--- CC
               53          53
i16 : norm ( matrix A * matrix x - matrix b )

o16 = 1.00534970772086e-15

o16 : RR (of precision 53)
This may be used to invert a matrix over ZZ/p, RR or QQ.
i17 : A = random(RR^5, RR^5)

o17 = | .2  .052 .33   .71 1   |
      | .59 .89  1     .57 .52 |
      | .29 .83  .42   .61 .41 |
      | .59 .69  .39   .76 .69 |
      | .58 .63  .0095 .37 .68 |

                 5          5
o17 : Matrix RR    <--- RR
               53         53
i18 : I = id_(target A)

o18 = | 1 0 0 0 0 |
      | 0 1 0 0 0 |
      | 0 0 1 0 0 |
      | 0 0 0 1 0 |
      | 0 0 0 0 1 |

                 5          5
o18 : Matrix RR    <--- RR
               53         53
i19 : A' = solve(A,I)

o19 = | -1.2 .36  -3   3.3  -.057 |
      | -.22 -.05 2.1  -2   1.1   |
      | .37  1.4  -.45 -.75 -.55  |
      | -.3  -1.4 .19  3.5  -2.2  |
      | 1.3  .45  .5   -2.8 1.7   |

                 5          5
o19 : Matrix RR    <--- RR
               53         53
i20 : norm(A*A' - I)

o20 = 2.27248775352962e-16

o20 : RR (of precision 53)
i21 : norm(A'*A - I)

o21 = 1.11022302462516e-15

o21 : RR (of precision 53)
Another method, which isn't generally as fast, and isn't as stable over RR or CC, is to lift the matrix b along the matrix A (see Matrix // Matrix).
i22 : A'' = I // A

o22 = | -1.2 .36  -3   3.3  -.057 |
      | -.22 -.05 2.1  -2   1.1   |
      | .37  1.4  -.45 -.75 -.55  |
      | -.3  -1.4 .19  3.5  -2.2  |
      | 1.3  .45  .5   -2.8 1.7   |

                 5          5
o22 : Matrix RR    <--- RR
               53         53
i23 : norm(A' - A'')

o23 = 0

o23 : RR (of precision 53)

Caveat

This function is limited in scope, but is sometimes useful for very large matrices

See also

Ways to use solve :