Product Description

This new book offers a fresh approach to matrix and linear algebra by providing a balanced blend of applications, theory, and computation, while highlighting their interdependence. Intended for a one-semester course, Applied Linear Algebra and Matrix Analysis places special emphasis on linear algebra as an experimental science, with numerous examples, computer exercises, and projects. While the flavor is heavily computational and experimental, the text is independent of specific hardware or software platforms. Throughout the book, significant motivating examples are woven into the text, and each section ends with a set of exercises.

Customer Reviews (2)

good, could be better
I have adopted this book as one of the texts for my introductory course on applied math. It's well written and has a diverse set of good examples drawn from everything from computer graphics to sports betting. It's fun to read, and in general, good.

It is significantly better than Olver and Shakiban's book of similar title and scope, and a heck of a lot cheaper. In a course like mine where I use several specialized books rather than one of the massive tomes that try (and fail) to cover all of applied math, low price is a factor for me.

Negatives include: too few theory problems, a fair number of typos, relegation of the LU factorization to a problem set. On the whole, though, it's not bad.

Stimulating introduction to Linear Algebra
This is a very well written book. The author brings the 'topic to life' by showing how the linear algebra can be used in an applied setting. Also the graphics enable the reader to understand the material from a geometric perspective, as opposed to merely looking at terse algebraic equations.

Finally, the hints and answers section at the back of the book are very good for self study.

Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description

Ideal as a reference or quick review of the fundamentals of linear algebra, this book offers a matrix-oriented approach--with more emphasis on Euclidean n-space, problem solving, and applications, and less emphasis on abstract vector spaces. It features a variety of applications, boxed statements of important results, and a large number of numbered and unnumbered examples. Matrices, Vectors, and Systems of Linear Equations. Matrices and Linear Transformations. Determinants. Subspaces and Their Properties. Eigenvalues, Eigenvectors, and Diagonalization. Orthogonality. Vector Spaces. Complex Numbers. A professional reference for computer scientists, statisticians, and some engineers.

Customer Reviews (1)

not a good textbook
I am currently teaching a class (freshman level at an American university) using this textbook, and I really don't like it.My students hate it, too.The exposition is too wordy yet confusing.The material is too diluted.The problems are too easy and tedious. ... Read more

Product Description
Renowned for thoroughness and accessibility, this book offers a challenging and enjoyable study of linear algebra that is infused with an abundance of applications.Balancing coverage of mathematical theory and applied topics, concepts are explained with precision so that all readers can understand the material. Worked examples are heavily integrated into each chapter. The book stresses the important role geometry and visualization play in understanding the subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

good introduction
A very good introduction to linear algebra. Explanations are very clear. A very good exposition on vector spaces. Overall a good buy for starting in this most interesting subject.

Good Book for the Most Part
Overall, I thought was well laid out.I would probably like to see more practical application of linear algebra to real world problems.

don't waste your money
If you buy this book then get used to phrases such as: "It can easly be seen that...." and "It can be shown that..." and let us not forget everyone's favorite "...which is left as an exercise for the reader."You will see at least one of these phrases in every section (yes section not chapter)....For [the money] I think Leon could work out just 1 example in detail.Fortunately there is enough information on the internet you won't need to read this book, instead just carry it around so your professor thinks your using it (although it makes a great door stop when you done with the class).Overall I think that 1 star is too much for this but Amazon won't let me give it 0 stars.

Starts Off Great, Wears Down
My background: Computer science / mathematics undergraduate with experience in calculus, discrete mathematics, and differential equations

Leon's text on linear algebra isn't bad, but there is room for improvement.Chapters 1, 2, and 3 do a good job of introducing the basic concepts of linear algebra, including matrix row operations, determinants, and linear independence.The book seems to lose clarity beginning in Chapter 4.The concepts become more abstract and Leon's notation interferes with the ability to clearly understand what he is talking about when it comes to linear transformations and issues regarding R(A) and orthogonality.Very important results are frequently understated as well.In a few cases, there aren't enough examples to go around - especially in Chapters 4 and 5.It is ironic compared to the relative overexplanation found in Chapter 1, for example.

Another qualm I have with this text is the chapter review sections, which are limited to MATLAB exercises and simple true/false questions.I think these sections need actual math problems devoted to them that force the reader to combine and useconcepts learned in the preceeding chapter, rather than overly simple true/false questions.

On the other hand, the homework problems the book offers for each section are fairly worded and interesting to solve.There is an answer section, of course, for the odd numbered exercises.Also, there are several "Application" sections that demonstrate how linear algebra is used in real-life scenarios that provide a relevance to this study, just so the casual student doesn't wind up wondering "Where am I ever going to use this?"

The book is just okay, but it needs a really good professor to go along with it and elaborate on the concepts Leon either understates or fails to present clearly.On a side note, my book is only two years old (I bought it like new) and the binding is already falling apart. ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents matrix algebra in a way that is well-suited for those with an interest in statistics or a related discipline. It provides thorough and unified coverage of the fundamental concepts along with the specialized topics encountered in areas of statistics such as linear statistical models and multivariate analysis. It includes a number of very useful results that have only been available from relatively obscure sources. Detailed proofs are provided for all results. The style and level of presentation are designed to make the contents accessible to a broad audience. The book is essentially self-contained, though it is best-suited for a reader who has had some previous exposure to matrices (of the kind that might be acquired in a beginning course on linear or matrix algebra). It includes exercises, it can serve as the primary text for a course on matrices or as a supplementary text in courses on such topics as linear statistical models or multivariate analysis, and it will be a valuable reference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Good Reference
To get this out of the way first and foremost, this book simply WILL NOT STAY OPEN for at least the first 150 pages. I realize this isn't a real criticism about the material, but it is annoying enough to mention. I've never seen a hardcover book be this stubborn about staying on a page. I've tried everything from weighing it down with something reasonably heavy to stomping on the spine. As soon as I set it down, it closes.

---End Rant---

I was assigned this book for a matrix algebra course, the idea being to get incoming graduate students ready for linear models by patching up any holes in linear algebra. Towards that end, working through this book seems inefficient. It's supposed to be from a statistician's perspective, yet somehow eigenvalues/eigenvectors and the Spectral Theorem aren't touched until 21 chapters in. I find it a little odd that nullspaces aren't defined until 11 chapters in (most texts would address this by chapter 2 I think) and the closest thing to an application comes in chapter 12 with the discussion of projection matrices. I can't decide whether I like or dislike the fact that the book basically ignores computational aspects (e.g. you won't find anything about putting a matrix in reduced row echelon form in here, and very little discussion on, say, the practical ways to invert a matrix).

A unique aspect of this book, compared with other Linear Algebra texts, is the level of abstraction. Everything is at the level of the vector space R^(m x n), which I suppose allows for the discussion of more specialized topics without having to specify. In my opinion, it's pretty comprehensive at this level of generality and covers many topics that are omitted in more standard texts. As far as the general writing of the book, I feel that a lot of the material is under motivated, which is fine for a reference but not good for an assigned textbook.

I imagine that I will keep this book as a reference, particularly for the less essential material. It's well organized and, for my needs, comprehensive enough.

Good reference book, not the book to learn matrix algebra from for the first time
I'm currently using this book in a class I'm taking. Overall, the content of the book is very solid, and I can see keeping this book (or possibly the hardcover version) on my shelf for years to come. However, the material is very dense and the exposition is generally lacking. Reading this book is difficult due in part to the poor layout decisions that were made; the layout isn't atrocious, but there is significant room for improvement. Also, the soft-cover seems to not want to stay closed (just a minor annoyance).

If you've never taken a matrix algebra course before, this is not the book to learn from (try either the Hoffman and Kunze or Friedberg books - both are considered good undergraduate-level texts). If you are looking for a book to act as a reference, this is a good choice. In my opinion, there should be a somewhat larger focus on the applications of the matrix algebra to statistics.

(4 stars because it is a solid reference and I knew that is what it aims to be - it lost a star due to the layout and cover issues as well as the dissatisfying lack of direct applications to statistics).

Good general book on matrices
It is difficult to find an advanced book on matrix algebra.In any discipline that requires numerical computation, one needs knowledge of advanced matrix algebra.Analytical matrix algebra does not have a natrual home.Almost all linear algebra books are too low of level.There are books on numerical linear algebra such as Trefethen and Bau or Golub and Van Loan and books on vector space linear algebra such as Hoffman and Kunze, but neither of these types of books provide broad coverage of advanced matrix algebra.This book fills that gap.I consider this book to be superior to Applied Matrix Algebra in the Statistical Sciences by Alexander Basilevsky, Matrix Algebra: Theory, Computations, and Applications in Statistics by Gentle, and A Matrix Handbook for Statisticians by Seber.

As one reviewer notes, the book does not have a lot of problems.I would focus more on proving the theorems rather than the number of problems.Harville could have proved less of the theorems, and inserted them as problems, but he proved a large number of theorems in detail.

Deep treatment of the subject matterthat should have been marketed with a different title
This is a fantastic treatment of advanced matrix algebra that is applicable to many areas such as controls, econometrics, multi-variable stats, optimization, etc.In short, there is material in this book that I have not seen anywhere else. I am sure that the title of this book has led to many workers outside of stats not giving the text a second look. This is a shame.Marketing is everything.A better title is "Advanced Matrix Algebra for Applications".

Great Reference but not Suitable for Learning
The book is very dense and detailed, which makes it an excellent reference book.However, I don't believe this book is suitable for learning Matrix Algebra.Each chapter includes only a few practice problems which I found to be a major shortcoming.I still gave it a 4/5 because it will still be very helpful for me as a reference. ... Read more

Product Description
For linear algebra courses, as well as for courses incomputers, physics, engineering, and sciences which use linear algebra.Concentrations on solutions to applied problems in economics,mechanics, electricity, chemistry, geometry, business, probability, graphtheory, and linear programming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

CSET Mathematics Test Takers...Hear Ye, Hear Ye...
If you are one of a handful of people who are attempting to pass the CSET Single Subject Mathematics Test, listen up.First, I have passed the CSET Math Section II exam.I am in the process of trying to pass the CSET Math Section I exam.While I still need to take it again, I now know the secret because the only difference between my first try on section I and second try was an 8 page section of the Linear Algebra Problem Solver book.My score went up 20 points and I KNOW the book is the reason.Now, I am trying to track down the problems from the REA Pre-Calculus Problem Solver book having to do with growth rates and logarithms..this will undoubtedly put me 'over the top'.These books work and I am now 100% sure that the exam writers are a subset of authors who helped put the problem solvers together.Here is how to use them if you did not pass the exam on the first try:
1) Look through them and pinpoint the questions that look familar to you from your first (or second) experiences taking the exam.
2) Know the 3-4 questions from these books (cold)which are almost exactly the same as the exam questions.In my case, this comes from a mere 8 page section found on ppg. 481-488 of the REA Linear Algebra Problem Solver text.
3) Supplement this with information from www.purplemath.com and download all 40 pages or so of the math listed there.
4) Finally, know the example section from the CSET site COLD, particularly the essay section.Take the Field theory answer and turn it into a matrix so that you can formulate an answer quickly on the actual exam.

I was able to pull off section II of the CSET and had a vague idea of what I was doing at the time.Now that I have had time to review my own process and recall the questions, I am sure there is a method to my madness.I should also like to add that I am a Multiple Subject Credential candidate and passed these subtests (along with the RICA) without any problems and so consider myself quite an accomplised CSET test taker...Good Luck. Sean Wayne Stevens ... Read more

Product Description
This manual contains completely worked-out solutions for all the odd-numbered exercises in the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Very useful book
Only a week into my linear algebra course, but the first few sections of this book at least have proved very helpful and articulate. Will post a more thorough review once I have more experience with the book.

*UPDATE*
Finished my linear algebra course, and this book was phenomenal! Very clear examples and mostly logical progression of ideas. Would recommend to any friends taking linear algebra, and will keep as a reference for years to come. Great book!

Hold onto your copy
This is probably the most useful book I ever bought for college. Even though I thought I would never need it again, I really regret selling my copy too soon.

Good 'Nuff
My review in response to the others:

This is a college text, intended for approximately the 2nd year/ beginning of 3rd, depending on when you take this class.Don't buy?Most colleges require texts (although I suppose you could be a maverick) not only for the problem set, but because the lectures closely follow the book's presentation, making your own notes the best supplement.That said, I have often found multiple books handy --most math libraries are vastly under used.Schaum's Outline is a good supplement for most any math class.You can get along fine with just this book, although some of it may be confusing --particularly chapter 3, which can only be described as "crystal clearly confusing."Not necessarily the content, but rather how it was presented as "too step-by-step" and less "here is how it works".The book does adequately cover all the basics, and depending on your level and understanding, some chapters may in fact be too basic.Some chapters will probably be skipped.

I too was frustrated that in several cases, key concepts and even whole parts of theorems, were left as exercises (and then referred to in other chapters).This is inconvenient, to say the least, if the problem is not prescribed and the class moves rapidly around the subject, or say your class skips certain chapters and a theorem is referred to later as "see exercise 3x in chapter 3", or if you don't figure it correctly!I agree that the "study guide" was not that helpful in most cases, as it was mostly a more elaborate presentation of the back-of-the-book answers, but in the cases where it was helpful, it was almost invaluable.For instance, many problems are ambiguous, or not very clearly stated, making it useful to be able to see what exactly constitutes the answer.For lack of a better way of putting it, some problems were laid out so poorly that they had to be reverse engineered.

The authors give a good introductory course, which is what the cover promises.The book is intended to be dry, as this is supposed to be a big boy class and a departure from basic foundation math like calculus and such.However, the book starts off very, very basic, and then in chapter 3, becomes more abstract and theoretical --again, for me it was the most difficult chapter because the material wasn't laid out well.Chapter four is more applications, which is pretty much the focus from there on in some fashion or other.The information you learn in this class become very powerful problem solving tools in later ones.Some stuff you may be able to use right away as a shortcut to the long hard way you have been doing it, while other stuff presents itself later.

Don't Buy!!!
I'm very disappointed with this solution manual. It does not explain the answer well. The writer only add a few sentences to the answers which can be found on the back of the textbook! The way the explanation is being written is also very confusing!!! Don't buy this book!!!

Thanks!
Thank you for sending the book.It was in very good condition, like you promised and I received the book much earlier than I originally had thought. ... Read more

Product Description
Elementary Linear Algebra 10^th edition gives an elementary treatment of linear algebra that is suitable for a first course for undergraduate students.  The aim is to present the fundamentals of linear algebra in the clearest possible way; pedagogy is the main consideration.  Calculus is not a prerequisite, but there are clearly labeled exercises and examples (which can be omitted without loss of continuity) for students who have studied calculus.   Technology also is not required, but for those who would like to use MATLAB, Maple, or Mathematica, or calculators with linear algebra capabilities, exercises are included at the ends of chapters that allow for further exploration using those tools. ... Read more

Product Description
Authors begin with linear spaces and end with analytic geometry. Multilinear forms, tensors and linear transformation are also treated. Final chapter deals with eigenvectors and eigenvalues, matrix polynomials, more. Each of the 25 sections contains a problem set. Hints and answers to most problems.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Small introduction to the multilineal algebra
This book is an elementary introduction to the linear Algebra and Tensors. It restricts their study to three dimensions and orthogonal tensors. Their presentation is compact and doesn't introduce a concept that won't be used with posterity in the book. It doesn't follow the limits of a treaty of the lineal algebra, but rather it centers the study of this matter avoiding to enter in messes that are solved in texts more rigorous. You won't find in this text a systematic treatment and complete of the systems of equations lineals, determinants , canonical forms, Etc., but you will be with a very good general concept of the linear algebra along the whole course. Their reading is easy, very didactic, its sections are highly organized and each one of them has a clear objective: no section is unaware to the rest of the book. To read this book you don't need anything. Scarcely you needed something of calculus, and that to understand some examples and does it. If you don't understand in this book the rudiments of the tensors, I believe that you won't understand it in any other one. The book also is full with illustrative examples and problems whose solution will found at the end of the book. This book is a small introduction to the multilineal algebra .

A decent book with lots of exercises
This book is not the best linear algebra book I've come across, but there are a lot of good things about it. The proofs are all very clear, and there are lots and lots and lots of good exercises. Something I see with alot of math books on the same topic is that they often have a lot ofexercises in common-not usually exactly the same, but difering only by afew numbers or words. But many of the exercises in this book, particularlyin the early chapters on dimension, cross product, and dot product, I havenot seen in any other book. The one thing about this book is that therereally is not a huge amount of non-exercise text-though what there is iswell-written. So maybe this would work best as a supplement to anotherbook.One thing that can be said about that book is that, in thedivision of linear algebra books into computational or abstract algebrabooks, this book is somewhere in the middle. It starts with the axioms of avector space, but most of the text concerns only 3-dimensional euclideangeometry-though many(but not all!) of the proofs carry over to higherdimensions without change. Also, the inclusion of so much material on thecross product-which is really useful only in applications to physics(as faras I know), not in abstract mathematics, is another unique feature of thisbook. Now, this book does not contain things like Gaussian elimination, butit is still not all that abstract, compared to many other books, at least. Also, this book is very short. It covers all the basics, but simplyignores some topics such as tensor products(necessary to a good treatmentof tensor products, not messy and index-laden like the one here), exteriorproducts, Jordan normal form, as well as much about what happens if thebase field isn't R-in particular, anything about Hermitian or unitarymatrices(Unless my memory has failed me-I don't have the book at hand to besure these things were never mentioned, but am pretty sure). ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1914.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A helpful manual for those wanting to refresh on Lang's Lin Alg
The book does a good job for most solutions but does occasionally skip steps the author seems to have considered obvious. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed to supplement the calculus course, provides a quick introduction to the basic ideas of linear algebra. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a good book
our linear algebra class prof. told us that this is the most readable math book, that's why the math dept. switched to this book this year.=) ... Read more

Product Description

For combined differential equations and linear algebra courses teaching students who have successfully completed three semesters of calculus.

This complete introduction to both differential equations and linear algebra presents a carefully balanced and sound integration of the two topics. It promotes in-depth understanding rather than rote memorization, enabling students to fully comprehend abstract concepts and leave the course with a solid foundation in linear algebra. Flexible in format, it explains concepts clearly and logically with an abundance of examples and illustrations, without sacrificing level or rigor. A vast array of problems supports the material, with varying levels from which students/instructors can choose.

Customer Reviews (22)

Cheaper than Bookstore
It was cheaper than getting it at the bookstore, and with free Amazon prime for .edu students, it got here in two days. What more is there to say?

good product
i use this book for the school textbook. I think the reading the book is very confusing. make sure to get the manual too. the manual helped me a lot more than the book.

Totally horrifying .
This book is written in Greeks and none of the examples explained the topic well.
And also, there are numerous mistakes in the answer booklet.

It's my first time frustrating with Math, why? because of this book.
The answer key made me really mad ! for real

Used book that looked new!
The book came at a good speed. Got it about 2 weeks after i ordered it. Book was nearly in perfect shape. Pages had small pencil marks but otherwise very good shape. Recommend this seller.

Good text with fairly easy examples
I took a class using this book my freshman year while also taking a 400 level Math class at the same time. Needless to say, I didn't have a lot of time to focus solely on the homework for this class. The book was clear and gave adequate examples. I feel that most people probable have complained about this book because they didn't give the lessons and examples a thorough reading/understanding, as is a common cause of dislike of a text. This was a great book for an intro class to linear algebra. My one reason for giving this book a 4 rather than a 5 is that the problems weren't challenging enough. I thought that most questions could be answered after only a thought or two, rather than careful contemplation and study. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive review guide to help you refresh your study. This guide is particularly useful for midterms and final exams, condensing a semester's worth of information into one concise volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Watered down linear algebra
It won't help you pass a college Linear Algebra course.
At least it didn't help me.
Problem is that it's just too small to really go into any depth so all it's good for is if you need help memorizing the formulas for the determinant, eigenvalue,etc.
If you don't understand the concepts behind all the formulas this book won't help at all!
Then again I guess that's all it aims to do.
Also some of the notation may vary from what you see in other linear algebra books.

Excellent and reasonably comprehensive introduction to basic linear algebra for the self-motivated student.
This book is an excellent introduction or review of linear algebra.It presents the most important aspects of basic linear algebra quickly, concisely, and accurately.It begins with concepts from vector and matrix algebra and continues through 318 pages to end with Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors. It presents a concept, e.g., linear independence, and then provides at least one example illustrating the concept.After a short discussion of each new concept, a fully-worked example is provided. Pages frequently appear with multiple examples.

There are no exercises with answers for the student to check their comprehension. You can instead use the examples as exercises, which works quite well since the examples are fully worked out. However, you must bring your own motivation to this Quick Review.Although the work is over 300 pages it presents "just the facts" and spends essentially no time building motivation or interest. Highly recommended, but only for the self-motivatedreader.

Digital Editions are a nightmare!
The book itself is excelent.Digital editions are a nightmare!I had t wipe out my computer due to a virus.Amazon doesn't let me download it again and there is a cumbersome procedure to reactivate the book through acrobat reader.After you do it, it still doesn't work.Customer service at Yahoo for this sucks too!So, if you value your time and your money, get only hardcopies!!!!!!

get it!
this book is an excellent addition to or replacement for your college text. i was even able to stop attending class. thanks! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Truly horrifying
Easily one of the worst textbooks ever written. I had to use some other works written by Professor Carlen in a few other classes and I highly recommend learning the course materials elsewhere if you are forced to read the text for your class. All of his texts read in the same confusing manner with little organization whatsoever. All the information is lumped into one massive text with little to no idea of organization, and backtracking through many many pages is necessary to learn any new concept. I get nightmares thinking about it.

Great seller
Very smooth transaction, I received everything on time, even earlier than I expected. The book was in excellent condition. Thank you.

Not well written
I found this textbook to be absolutely terrible. The authors make all this hype about writing a clear and concise text when nothing could be further from the truth. The text is dense with extremely poor explanations of the material that seem buried in convoluted proofs that convey little understanding of the material. Since this book is supposed to be "from the beginning" it would seem more practical explanations would be needed to supplement and clarify the proofs. A more advanced mathematics student may find this book as a helpful reference, but the introductory linear algebra student (for whom this book is intended) will most likely be left confused and frustrated. Also this book contains many errors which certainly don't help and there are no answers in the back of the book for students to practice with. A student solutions manual is available but this is as dense and error filled as the text. My best advice is to avoid this text and buy another one like Anton's or Lay's Linear Algebra text. ... Read more

Product Description
This unique text presents the new domain of consistent non-linear counterparts for all basic objects and tools of linear algebra, and develops an adequate calculus for solving non-linear algebraic and differential equations. It reveals the non-linear algebraic activity as an essentially wider and diverse field with its own original methods, of which the linear one is a special restricted case.

This volume contains a detailed and comprehensive description of basic objects and fundamental techniques arising from the theory of non-linear equations, which constitute the scope of what should be called non-linear algebra. The objects of non-linear algebra are presented in parallel with the corresponding linear ones, followed by an exposition of specific non-linear properties treated with the use of classical (such as the Koszul complex) and original new tools. This volume extensively uses a new diagram technique and is enriched with a variety of illustrations throughout the text. Thus, most of the material is new and is clearly exposed, starting from the elementary level. With the scope of its perspective applications spreading from general algebra to mathematical physics, it will interest a broad audience of physicists; mathematicians, as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students. ... Read more

Product Description
This revision of a well-known text includes more sophisticated mathematical material. A new section on applications provides an introduction to the modern treatment of calculus of several variables, and the concept of duality receives expanded coverage. Notations have been changed to correspond to more current usage. ... Read more

Product Description
Prominent Russian mathematician’s concise, well-written exposition considers: n-dimensional spaces, linear and bilinear forms, linear transformations, canonical form of an arbitrary linear transformation, introduction to tensors, more. Not designed as an introductory text. 1961 ed.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Very good textbook for the application-minded person
I can only strongly recommend this somewhat forgotten textbook to anyone who needs a basic but otherwise thorough exposition to linear algebra. It conflates rigor, examples, and exercises very nicely, although in a very economic manner. Its coordinate-oriented presentation may not appeal to the mathematician in search of ultimate generality, but it is ideal for the physics and engineering-minded person. It is unfortunate that nowadays so many S&E students become first aquainted with rings of polynomials than with rotation matrices! Do not get me wrong, though: the book contains real math inside, but in the best Russian textbook presentation tradition.

One of the most complete linear algebra texts
The bilinear (quadratic like) form is related to the inner product in this text: two things that are almost entirely left out in many American linear algebra texts. The text is a translation from Russian and
is somewhat difficultwith the axiomatic development form used.
Explanations, examples and problems aren't a real part of this method of presentation, so the resulting text is more like a graduate text
than the second year texts of American Linear algebra.
The price is right for real students of algebra.

Average to Poor
It's a relatively dry and straightforward presentation that is no more difficult or easy to understand than most other traditional books on LA.The style has an antiquated feel to it, and as such, is rather dense and cold in presentation -- truthfully, extremely boring like reading a list of definitions in a dictionary. Not nearly as clear or engaging as Harvard's Otto Brescher in his undergraduate text "Linear Algebra with Applications", nor as clever as Klaus Janich's "Linear Algebra".

Excellent and Compact book
The professor who recommended this book made the comment that every time you re-read it, you notice something else that you missed the last time you read it.This is absolutely true.

I must say, the first time I picked up this book, I did not like it.The notation was not what I was used to, and the book dives right in, assuming a lot of background (matrices, determinants, etc.) but covering material which many people find boring (bases, etc.).However, when you read deeper, there's a lot here.Once you get past the ugly notation, the proofs are extraordinarily clear.And in spite of the books small size, there is a remarkable amount of motivation and discussion.

Like the other reviewer said, this is not a book to learn linear algebra from for the first time: this is an advanced book that is useful for graduate students who have already had a linear algebra course and who want to learn more topics, or understand topics on a deeper level.

This is an excellent book; the bottom line is that it's so cheap that there's no excuse NOT to buy it.

Best linear algebra book
Lucid and clear notation , complete explanations . This books was first published in
1937 but until now it remains best text book in the field . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good book
This book is decent.It demonstrates very easily how to use MATLABto solve systems of equations. ... Read more

Product Description
This third edition of the successful outline in linear algebra--which sold more than 400,000 copies in its past two editions--has been thoroughly updated to increase its applicability to the fields in which linear algebra is now essential: computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, and quantitative analysis. Revised coverage includes new problems relevant to computer science and a revised chapter on linear equations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Superficial; only good for the exercises
This book does not really teach Linear Algebra. It's very superficial and not interesting. Try Jim Hefferon's book instead and you will have a clear text that teaches Linear Algebra for real.

Anyway, there are several exercises in the book -- that is one reason to buy it, I think...

Excellent text, but errors galore in the answers to the exercises
I'm using this book to review Linear Algebra, having been away for quite some time. The basic text is easy to follow, and the ideas are clearly explained. But the amount of errors in the answers to the exercises are totally unacceptable. If I was a teacher again (which I was years ago) and a student turned in this quality of work for the exercises, they would get a failing grade. The typos and errors really are that bad. I have found that I do not trust the answers given in the book, as I am using my computer to do the math to double check my practice. I absolutely have to agree with others, the book itself is good, but the answers to the exercises are so bad that I can not recommend this book, which is unfortunate as the explanations of Linear Algebra are actually quite good.

Fourth Edition is out
The Fourth Edition of this book is out.It should have corrected some typos that I saw in this edition.It's priced about the same, so I suggest you get that one instead.See link below.

Schaum's Outline of Linear Algebra, 4ed (Schaum's Outlines)

When asked to recommend a supplemental linear algebra text, this is always the one
Over my career as a college educator, I have occasionally taught linear algebra and have had students ask me if I knew of a resource they could use for additional help and practice. My answer has always been to refer them to this book. Even the most abstract mathematical theory is learned by seeing problems worked through and then doing some of them on your own. As every math teacher knows, mathematics is a participatory sport and participation is defined as being intellectually engaged in following logical reasoning.
The problems in this book start at the very beginning and cover the fundamental principles of linear algebra. If there is a weakness, it is that there is nothing in the way of applications. Linear algebra and matrices forms one of the mathematical foundations of creating moving images via computer and that is one way to quickly pique the interest of the students (and instructors).

Good resource - not up to Schaum Outline standard but good
As others have noted there are simple mistakes - I was suprised at the first few early ones I found (addition mistakes, mixing variables). I almost got another book based on other reviews to supplement my course text (Anton's which is pathetic), but overall the Schaum's Outlines have been very good for me and ultimately this one did have enough examples to be helpful.

Not as helpful as many of the other Schaum Outlines but I'm not terribly disappointed as I feared based on other reviews. ... Read more

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