# Math Help - Trivial Solution of a system of equations

1. ## Trivial Solution of a system of equations

What do we mean when we say that a system of equations has only a trivial solution i.e x=0,y=0 .... etc. We conclude that these vectors are linearly independent. But what does that visually mean ?

Is it a set of diverging lines from the origin ?

2. ## Re: Trivial Solution of a system of equations

Hey koustave321.

A linearly independent set of vectors means that each vector can't be represented as a linear combination of the others.

So if I had four vectors a,b,c,d it means that a for example can't be written as a linear combination of b,c,d and so on for all the other vectors.

3. ## Re: Trivial Solution of a system of equations

Originally Posted by chiro
Hey koustave321.

A linearly independent set of vectors means that each vector can't be represented as a linear combination of the others.

So if I had four vectors a,b,c,d it means that a for example can't be written as a linear combination of b,c,d and so on for all the other vectors.
Thank you for your answer. But may be I am not being able to state my question properly. What i asked,if put in another way, will be -

What do linearly independent vectors 'VISUALLY' mean (not mathematically) ??

4. ## Re: Trivial Solution of a system of equations

Think about a plane: a set of linearly independent vectors span a plane.

If they were linearly independent then it means that the vector that was linearly dependent would be on the surface of the plane that was formed by the other linearly independent vectors.