Gaussian Matrix Solver

     This is my most recent C++ work, the Gaussian-Elimination Matrix Solver. Because this program does some very complicated pointer tricks (treating a 2-dimensional array as a vector), it is only available in C format.

     The Gaussian algorithm I used is the same method that Mr. Hornbein's teaching in Foundations at the moment (2/1/99), only a tad bit simpler. Here's how it (and most other calculators) works:

  1. First, it reduces the top row so that the first number is 1. Computers have no problems with fractions; humans do.
  2. Then, it transforms the lower rows so that their rows are 0. It then proceeds with the second row/column, until it transforms the matrix into echelon form.
  3. Finally, it performs back-substitution to extract the solution from the echelon matrix.
     Because this program is C++ and not Java based, you can't really do much with it from your browser, or even with a Java runtime. If you're so lucky as to have a C++ compiler, just run it on the source file. If you have an account on thibs, then just run ~bean/public_html/gauss/gauss.

     Download a ZIP with all the files.