Linear Algebra textbook recommendation

T

trinibwoy

Meh
Legend
Supporter
Hey ppl,

I'm considering switching gears career wise and would like to brush up on my linear alebra a bit. Are there any universally recommended books out there? I did a linear algebra course as part of my comp sci requirements for undergrad but nothing more advanced than that. Would appreciate any suggestions for a good self-study textbook just to brush up on the basics. Would prefer an approach that focuses on applications and not just theory.

Also, what's the fastest way to get up to speed in MatLab?

TIA
 
Try looking around at University websites. Pick some highly regarded school and try to find a course info page for a first year algebra course. Sometimes they'll list the books used. Probably a good place to be looking.
 
Every linear algebra textbook I've seen has sucked. I'll ask around though, try to get some recommendations.

And the fastest way I've found to get up to speed with Matlab is to take a class that forces you to write giant amounts of Matlab code :p
 
Matlab is easy, just play around with it and you get the hang of it within an hour or two.

As for a good linear algebra book, it sorta depends what you are looking for. Numerical work, more mathematical work or a mix. I echo the statement that theres not that many good textbooks on the subject.

Actually I seem to recall that "linear algebra for dummies" is not so bad
 
Linear Algebra (LA) is discussed in so many books but there is no one book that is "the best".

Get some on-line stuff, find some generic LA books and read them. LA from at an undergraduate level isn't so complex but there is a whole lot more to it than what you do at an undergraduate level, just don't try and pick every single thing up. Learn what you need or you will end up doing what I do, spend years learning a topic from top to bottom and find out you only need less than a tenth of it.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys I really appreciate it. The role I'm looking at is in finance so I don't think I need any hardcore indepth knowledge. Just the basics so that I dont completely stumble over an interview question.
 
You might also want to check out Matrix Analysis and Applied Linear Algebra by Carl Meyer. Was actually my professor back in the day and we used his text in class (just a spiral bound collection of pages in those days). Very good text.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top