Book Description

The material presented in this book corresponds to a semester-long course, ``Linear Algebra and Differential Equations'', taught to sophomore students at UC Berkeley. In contrast with typical undergraduate texts, the book offers a unifying point of view on the subject, namely that linear algebra solves several clearly-posed classification problems about such geometric objects as quadratic forms and linear transformations. This attractive viewpoint on the classical theory agrees well with modern tendencies in advanced mathematics and is shared by many research mathematicians. However, the idea of classification seldom finds its way to basic programs in mathematics, and is usually unfamiliar to undergraduates. To meet the challenge, the book first guides the reader through the entire agenda of linear algebra in the elementary environment of two-dimensional geometry, and prior to spelling out the general idea and employing it in higher dimensions, shows how it works in applications such as linear ODE systems or stability of equilibria. Appropriate as a text for regular junior and honors sophomore level college classes, the book is accessible to high school students familiar with basic calculus, and can also be useful to engineering graduate students.