Customer Reviews

Matrices and transformations (Teachers' mathematics reference series)

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This fairly short Dover re-print edition is a good self-tutorial for students new to matrices. This book was originally published several years ago. but the mathematical notation is consistent with current texts. The first two chapters are moderately paced, covering such topics as real and complex matrices, Hermitian matrices, the inverse and rank of a matrix, and a brief introduction to systems of linear equations. The third chapter is a bit unique in focusing on application of matrices to transformations of the plane. I have encountered this topic in bits and pieces in various texts and I found this overview both interesting and helpful.

The final chapter, titled Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors, was a bit too concise, touching too briefly on more complicated topics like diagonalization of matrices, Hamilton-Cayley Theorem, and quadratic forms. I recommend working through the fourth chapter (this is a short book) rather quickly to get a basic understanding, but then moving to more detailed treatments of eigenvalues and related topics elsewhwere. As a follow-up, I recommend another Dover edition - An Introduction to Matrices, Sets, ad Groups for Science Students. However, this text assumes substantial familiarity with manipulation of determinants.

All in all, this book is a good buy and a good starting point for studying matrices.