Monday, July 23, 2012

Teach yourself Linear Algebra for free

Editor's Note: This page has been merged with other topics at my Learn Math for Free page. You can find other free resources for various mathematical topics there.

It's been about eleven years since I last studied Linear Algebra in an academic setting, and that was in Linear Algebra for Engineers (not a more general course on the subject). With a full-fledged course on my schedule for the fall (as a student), I figured it was time to brush up on the subject.

I discovered that WikiBooks (an offshoot of Wikipedia) has a complete university-level textbook -- Linear Algebra: An Introduction to Mathematical Discourse. After spending a couple of days on the beginning chapters, I can say that it is an excellent exercise-driven experience. The book aims to provide intuition and proof with regards to all theorems/examples. The exercises at the end of each chapter are designed to test your knowledge as well as your ability to think about what is happening behind the scenes.

This free book, combined with video lectures such as those at Khan Academy, is (in my opinion) one of the best free ways to learn Linear Algebra from the comfort of your own home. Definitely accessible to high school and college students (or adult learners, like myself) that want to get ahead or catch up to their peers.

There is also an extensive set of course notes by Paul Dawkins of Lamar University, available at Paul's Online Math Notes. These notes cover the entirety of a typical university-level class.

If you know of any other great resources for leaning Linear Algebra, feel free to let me know!

2 comments:

  1. You should check out http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-06sc-linear-algebra-fall-2011/index.htm

    I have Prof. Strang's book and I am currently proceeding through the lectures.

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    1. Ah yes, Bob. I always forget about OCW. Strang's videos are very well done and the ability to follow the book, while that's not free, it very valuable. I will have to add that resource. Thanks!

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