Product Description

Linear algebra is relatively easy for students during the early stages of the course, when the material is presented in a familiar, concrete setting. But when abstract concepts are introduced, students often hit a brick wall. Instructors seem to agree that certain concepts (such as linear independence, spanning, subspace, vector space, and linear transformations), are not easily understood, and require time to assimilate. Since they are fundamental to the study of linear algebra, students' understanding of these concepts is vital to their mastery of the subject. Lay introduces these concepts early in a familiar, concrete Rn setting, develops them gradually, and returns to them again and again throughout the text. Finally, when discussed in the abstract, these concepts are more accessible.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1286348 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 576 pages

From the Publisher
Avoiding the Brick Wall
Linear algebra is relatively easy for students during the early stages of a course, when the material is presented in a familiar, concrete setting. But when abstract concepts are introduced, students often hit a "brick wall". Instructors seem to agree that certain fundamental concepts (such as linear independence, spanning, subspace/vector space, and linear transformations), are not easily understood, and require time to assimilate. Yet students' understanding of these concepts is vital to their mastery of the subject. Lay introduces these concepts early in a familiar, concrete R^n setting, develops them gradually, and returns to them again and again throughout the text. Finally, when discussed in the abstract, these concepts are more accessible because they are familiar. This is the only introductory linear algebra text that allows students to avoid the "brick wall."

David C. Lay holds a Ph.D. from UCLA and is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Maryland. He has over 30 research articles published in functional analysis and linear algebra, and as a founding member of NSF-sponsored Linear Algebra Curriculum Study Group, Lay has been a leader in the current modernization of the linear algebra curriculum.

About the Author

David C. Lay holds a B.A. from Aurora University (Illinois), and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles. Lay has been an educator and research mathematician since 1966, mostly at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Amsterdam, the Free University in Amsterdam, and the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany. He has over 30 research articles published in functional analysis and linear algebra.

As a founding member of the NSF-sponsored Linear Algebra Curriculum Study Group, Lay has been a leader in the current movement to modernize the linear algebra curriculum. Lay is also co-author of several mathematics texts, including Introduction to Functional Analysis, with Angus E. Taylor, Calculus and Its Applications, with L.J. Goldstein and D.I. Schneider, and Linear Algebra Gems-Assets for Undergraduate Mathematics, with D. Carlson, C.R. Johnson, and A.D. Porter.

A top-notch educator, Professor Lay has received four university awards for teaching excellence, including, in 1996, the title of Distinguished Scholar-Teacher of the University of Maryland. In 1994, he was given one of the Mathematical Association of America's Awards for Distinguished College or Unviersity Teaching of Mathematics. He has been elected by the university students to membership in Alpha Lambda Delta National Scholastic Honor Society and Golden Key National Honor Society. In 1989, Aurora University conferred on him the Outstanding Alumnus award. Lay is a member of the American Mathematical Society, the Canadian Mathematical Society, the International Linear Algebra Society, the Mathematical Association of America, Sigma Xi, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. Since 1992, he has served several terms on the national board of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences.

Customer Reviews

Poor book
Not a good text. Even with the accompanying study guide most of the problems are only briefly explained. Multiple choice "did you read it" questions, often full of hidden word traps, are not directly answered in the book.The study guide merely refers the reader to a vague paragraph and page number. This strategy ignores the obvious fact that if the reader got the question wrong they clearly didn't understand that paragraph in the text.

Wonderful learing experience
I really enjoyed learning from this book. Not beeing a keen reader I was very impressed with the conciseness and clarity of the text. There were many clear examples in the text. I found the question at the end of each chapter helpful for reviewing the new information.

What I would have liked to see was the answers to the odd numbered multiple choice questions at the end of the book. And perhaps a discussion sumary of the main points at the end of each chapter.

Over all a very impressive book.

A great book.
Because Dr. Lay's book is so well written, linear algebra turned out to be the easiest course I took in my undergraduate work.

Lay's book is clear, concise, and overall very well-done. His writing is great; he explains each derivation. The problems he sticks in at the end of the chapter to check your understanding are really nice. The study guide is also very helpful.

I wish there were more textbooks like this one.