Michigan Algebra I Sept. 2012

Another method of symbolically solving a system of equations is elimination. When solving a linear system by elimination (sometimes called linear combination) simple addition and subtraction is used to simplify the system of equations to one equation involving a single variable. We begin with two unknowns (x and y) and move to a single unknown (either x or y), and, therefore, this method is often referred to as solving by elimination. One variable is eliminated in order to make the equations solvable. To accomplish this, something may need to be done to one, or both equations so that one variable will be eliminated.