Definition

Dependent Equations in a Linear System

Two equations in a system of linear equations are dependent if every solution of one equation is automatically a solution of the other — one equation can be transformed into the other through algebraic operations such as multiplying both sides by a constant. When graphed, dependent equations produce coincident lines: both equations trace out the same line on the coordinate plane, so the system has infinitely many solutions. Every ordered pair on the shared line satisfies both equations.

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Updated 2026-04-24

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