With calculus well behind us, it's time to enter the next major topic in any study of mathematics. Linear Algebra! The name doesn't sound very intimidating, but there are some pretty abstract concepts in this subject. Let's start nice and easy simply by learning about what this subject covers and some basic terminology.
After being traditionally published for many years, this formidable text by W. Keith Nicholson is now being released as an open educational resource and part of Lyryx with Open Texts! Supporting today's students and instructors requires much more than a textbook, which is why Dr. Nicholson opted to work with Lyryx Learning. Overall, the aim of the text is to achieve a balance among computational skills, theory, and applications of linear algebra. It is a relatively advanced introduction to the ideas and techniques of linear algebra targeted for science and engineering students who need to understand not only how to use these methods but also gain insight into why they work. The contents have enough flexibility to present a traditional introduction to the subject, or to allow for a more applied course. Chapters 1–4 contain a one-semester course for beginners whereas Chapters 5–9 contain a second semester course. The text is primarily about real linear algebra with complex numbers being mentioned when appropriate (reviewed in Appendix A).
