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📈college algebra review

Column

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

A column in a matrix is a set of elements arranged vertically. Each column represents a variable in systems of linear equations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. A matrix with $m$ rows and $n$ columns is called an $m \times n$ matrix.
  2. The number of columns in the coefficient matrix corresponds to the number of variables in the system of equations.
  3. In Gaussian elimination, operations can be performed on entire columns.
  4. The identity matrix has ones on the diagonal and zeroes elsewhere, making its columns orthogonal unit vectors.
  5. Column operations can affect the solvability and solutions of a system of equations.

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