Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2016
Essential Linear Algebra With Applications: A Problem-Solving Approach by Titu Andreescu
If you've ever done an undergraduate course on linear algebra without applications, then you'd surely notice what's different in this textbook. In this book you get a good grip on basic linear algebra dealing with pretty much all you need to know about matrices to begin with.
What I found interesting and quite motivating, was how the practice problems are set up - it's not doing the same thing tens of times over with different figures, but rather every problem has something more to it.
Also for the purpose of independent study it is excellent because there's a variety of solved problems. And the greatest bonus are the applications. Ofcourse it's understandable if you don't deal with the applications of linear algebra in a lecture course that's tight for time anyway, but it adds a lot to understanding the subject and knowing where you might happen across the same topic again, rather than learning all the basics, seeing a problem in a different class and not have any idea that you could have done it easily with algebraic methods that you have studied.
It's written in a good easy to follow style.
Labels: algebra, book review, Essential Linear Algebra With Applications