MUTATED COMBINATION
| STEP 1: MULTIPLY ONE OR BOTH OF THE EQUATIONS BY A CONSTANT OBTAIN COEFFICIENTS THAT DIFFER ONLY IN SIGN FOR ONE OF THE VARIABLES. |
| STEP 2: ADD THE REVISED EQUATION FROM STEP 1. COMBINING LIKE TERMS WILL ELIMINATE ONE OF THE VARIABLES. SOLVE FOR THE REMAINING VARIABLE. |
| STEP 3: SUBSTITUTE THE VALUE OBTAINED IN STEP 2 INTO EITHER OF THE ORIGINAL EQUATIONS AND SOLVEFOR THE OTHER VARIABLE. |
EXAMPLE
2x - 4x=13, 4x - 5y=8
1. MULTIPLY THE FIRST EQUATION BY -2 SO THAT THE x-COEFFICIENTS DIFFER ONLY IN SIGN.
2x - 4y=13 *-2 > -4x + 8y =-26
4x - 5y=8 >>>>>> 4x - 5y = 8
2. ADD THE REVISED EQUATIONS AND SOLVE FOR y.
-4x + 8y =-26
4x - 5y = 8
3y = -18
y = -6
3. SUBSTITUTE THE VALUE OF y INTO ONE OF THE ORIGINAL EQUATIONS. SOLVE FOR x.
2x - 4y = 13 ~ WRITE EQUATION 1
2x - 4(-6) = 13 ~ SUBSTITUTE -6 FOR Y
2x + 24 = 13 ~ SIMPLIFY
x = -11/2 ~ SOLVE FOR x
THE SOLUTION IS> ( -11/2 , -6)