Education
System of Equations Calculator
Pick the size, enter each equation in standard form (coefficients on the left, constant on the right), and the calculator returns the solution using Cramer's rule. No-solution and infinite-solution cases are reported.
System size
Equation 1: a₁ x + b₁ y = c₁
Equation 2: a₂ x + b₂ y = c₂
Solution
x = 2, y = 1
Determinant = -7
For larger systems or to see the elimination steps explicitly, switch to the RREF calculator and paste the augmented matrix.
Examples
2x + y = 5; x − 3y = -1
x = 2, y = 1
x + y + z = 6; 2y + 5z = -4; 2x + 5y − z = 27
x = 5, y = 3, z = -2
x + 2y = 4; 2x + 4y = 9
no solution (parallel)
x + 2y = 4; 2x + 4y = 8
infinite solutions (same line)
How it works
The calculator computes the coefficient determinant D and, for each variable, a replaced-column determinant. The unique solution (when D ≠ 0) is the ratio of these determinants.
2×2 case · x = (c₁b₂ − c₂b₁) / (a₁b₂ − a₂b₁)
3×3 case · xᵢ = det(Aᵢ) / det(A)
When det(A) = 0, the system has either no solution or infinitely many; the calculator distinguishes the 2×2 case by checking row proportionality.
Related linear algebra calculators
- RREF calculator for the row-reduction view with explicit pivots and rank.
- Linear regression calculator when the goal is the best-fit line through noisy data, not an exact solution.
- Slope calculator for the slope of any one equation rewritten as y = mx + b.
- Scientific calculator for arithmetic checks against the solution.
- All education calculators.
Frequently asked questions
A set of equations involving the same variables. A solution is a set of variable values that satisfies every equation at once. In 2D, two linear equations describe two lines; their intersection is the solution.
For a system with coefficient matrix A and right-hand side b, each variable x_i equals det(A_i) / det(A), where A_i is A with the i-th column replaced by b. The method requires det(A) ≠ 0; when it is zero, the system is either inconsistent or dependent.
Two lines that are parallel never meet, so the system has no solution. The calculator detects this by checking whether the rows are proportional but with different constants on the right.
Two lines that are exactly the same have every point in common, so the system has infinitely many solutions. The calculator flags this case but does not parameterize the solution set; for that, use the RREF calculator.
Use this calculator for a fast x, y (or x, y, z) answer to a typical homework or word-problem system. Use RREF when you want to see the elimination steps, or when you suspect the system is dependent and you want to read off the free variables.
Yes. Coefficients can be any real number. Negative leading coefficients are handled correctly.
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