Linear Methods: A General Education Course

Linear Methods: A General Education Course is expressly written for non-mathematical students, particularly freshmen taking a required core mathematics course. Rather than covering a hodgepodge of different topics as is typical for a core mathematics course, this text encourages students to explore one particular branch of mathematics, elementary linear algebra, in some depth. The material is presented in an accessible manner, as opposed to a traditional overly rigorous approach. While introducing students to useful topics in linear algebra, the book also includes a gentle introduction to more abstract facets of the subject.

Many relevant uses of linear algebra in today’s world are illustrated, including applications involving business, economics, elementary graph theory, Markov chains, linear regression and least-squares polynomials, geometric transformations, and elementary physics. The authors have included proofs of various important elementary theorems and properties which provide readers with the reasoning behind these results.

• Written for a general education core course in introductory mathematics
• Introduces elementary linear algebra concepts to non-mathematics majors
• Provides an informal introduction to elementary proofs involving matrices and vectors
• Includes useful applications from linear algebra related to business, graph theory, regression, and elementary physics