rank

# File lib/matrix.rb, line 1272
  def rank
    # We currently use Bareiss' multistep integer-preserving gaussian elimination
    # (see comments on determinant)
    a = to_a
    last_column = column_count - 1
    last_row = row_count - 1
    pivot_row = 0
    previous_pivot = 1
    0.upto(last_column) do |k|
      switch_row = (pivot_row .. last_row).find {|row|
        a[row][k] != 0
      }
      if switch_row
        a[switch_row], a[pivot_row] = a[pivot_row], a[switch_row] unless pivot_row == switch_row
        pivot = a[pivot_row][k]
        (pivot_row+1).upto(last_row) do |i|
           ai = a[i]
           (k+1).upto(last_column) do |j|
             ai[j] =  (pivot * ai[j] - ai[k] * a[pivot_row][j]) / previous_pivot
           end
         end
        pivot_row += 1
        previous_pivot = pivot
      end
    end
    pivot_row
  end