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What is linear algebra?

Vectors and matrices and more vectors and more matrices. This course (or often Calc III) is usually the first in which you learn to truly do mathematics in multiple dimensions--two, three, or more! But the mathematics of six dimensions is very complicated, and here you simplify by studying the higher-dimensional analogues of linear functions (mx+b) only. So forget parabolas, trig functions, exponentials, and all the other functions which made matters complicated, and focus on functions that Do not curve. There is a great deal to be said even about such a simple class of functions when you say it in twelve dimensions!

When passing from one dimension (mx+b) to several, the numbers x get replaced with vectors. Matrices are the replacement for m. The simple multiplication of m*x becomes matrix*vector multiplication, which you'll have to learn how to do!


This page last modified Sun May 29 13:18:12 2005
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