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Mathematics

Gaussian Elimination for Solving Systems of Linear Equations

Quick fact

This method was named after Carl Friedrich Gauss, but the technique was known in Chinese mathematics as early as 179 AD, in a text called 'The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art'.

Why this is interesting

You've probably solved pairs of equations like 2x + y = 5 and x - y = 1 by cleverly combining them. But what if you had 10 equations with 10 variables? There has to be a systematic, foolproof way—and there is: Gaussian elimination.