Solving Systems of Equations with OpenOffice (and Excel)

How to use the Gauss-Jordan method and Excel's built-in linear equation solver to solve systems of equations with two or more unknowns. Of course, since we only use free software around here, we don't have Excel, but OpenOffice can do the same thing in pretty much the same way and they have granted us permission to use their software visuals in our videos provided that we credit openoffice.org with a link in the video description.

First, some preparation is necessary. I have set up a spreadsheet with three boxes to hold the unknowns, X., Y., and Z. and a space to hold the matrix of coefficients, A., B., and C.

There is a column called "sum" to hold the values on the right side of the equation.

Online version (google docs):
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AmaYTj4rWVA2dEprYW1JelQ4Y2ZXRjhjd3Bh...

Downloadable version (open document format):
http://thenerdshow.com/scripts/matrix.zip

You will need open document filters if you plan to import this project into Excel
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/excel-help/use-excel-to-open-or-save-a-work...

My Website:
http://thenerdshow.com

My music CD:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/HenryKrollIII
http://mixculture.org

---software visuals---

This video contains parts or visuals of free software programs. You may use them freely according to each particular license.

Permission has been granted to use the software visuals along with the following attributions:

OpenOffice is free software. It is distributed under the terms of the LGPL (GNU Lesser General Public License.)
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html

The OpenOffice website:
http://www.openoffice.org/

SciTE is Copyright 1998-2003 by Neil Hodgson and released under a BSD-style license.
The SciTE website:
http://www.scintilla.org

--operating system--

Fedora software is available under the terms of the Apache License.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_License

The Fedora website:
http://fedoraproject.org

--video production software--

These are available freely from the Fedora sofware repositories (System-Administration-Add/Remove Software.)

Avidemux is free software. It is distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL:
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html

gtk-recordmydesktop is free software. It is distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL:
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html

Category:

Education

Tags:

• cheating
• cheat
• algebra
• software
• video
• spreadsheet
• demonstration
• help
• equations
• solving
• linear
• multiple
• unknowns

[IteKLF]

Whoa, thanks. I've working for 3hrs without knowing whats wrong. whith this video I learned another way to solve my problem - 1hr quicker to find the solution and it was easy to find out it was one neg. sign too much...

[themanyone]

@IteKLF I'm glad some people are finding this useful. :)

[eugeneskele]

Are you assuming we all have cognitive knowledge?

[themanyone]

@eugeneskele Well it sure saved my grade in algebra using a spreadsheet instead of trying to work it out by hand!

[AgentxAnonymous]

The two things I hate the most. Excel and Algebra XD

[themanyone]

@AgentxAnonymous LOL

[Cineenvenordquist]

What's SciTE used for here? As a programmable editor to throw the exercises under the spreadsheet (the Gnome clipboard not (without help) having such 'cut | sed' stuff built in? Would you otherwise do this in Octave or J, or just use an Open Office complex rational or expected-error cell data type I should know about? Fave example problem abstract IRL, compliance costs v. lobbying?