Linear Algebra...

[hypn0tik]

Vector spaces are your friend.

 

[acheron]

Originally posted by: MrPickins
I'm taking that this fall as an advanced elective to finish my math minor.

I'm hoping that it will be useful to know for future programming projects.

If you're doing anything with graphics, then yes it will be very useful.

 

[acheron]

.

 

[yelo333]

Originally posted by: Sumguy

Originally posted by: sthaznpride17
The calculations and methods are easy. The proofs are what killed me. Prove that this is a linear transformation. the fuck?

Many universities treat this as an introduction to upper-level math. So the proofs are not a necessary part of the course, but in there just because they can include them. To confuse you.

What I'm saying is that you won't need to understand the proofs for the non-proof questions, but you will for the proof questions. It's like two courses in one. The proofs you do on tests will likely be much easier than the ones the teacher will put up on the board.

<- took Linear Algebra twice because the first time didn't transfer.

 

[Daishiki]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
It's a course that during the first week, you'll say to yourself "this is fucking easy!! I'm going to ace this course!"

The following week, you'll be saying "eigen-what?"

This just brought back a flood of flashbacks.

Fortunately, I got through the courses fairly unscathed. My friend at Berkeley, on the other hand, had to retake it a few times.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: MrPickins
I'm taking that this fall as an advanced elective to finish my math minor.

I'm hoping that it will be useful to know for future programming projects.

Yes, it can be very useful. And, that description I gave of the course that so many quoted me on, I warn my high school students to "beware of linear algebra. It seems really easy at first, but don't let your guard down." I cover some linear algebra topics in my pre-calculus class - some special applications of determinants, how to solve a 5x5 system of equations in about 1 minute (or less) on their graphing calculator, etc. (Assuming it takes about 55 seconds to enter the variables)

 

[Arcadio]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
It's a course that during the first week, you'll say to yourself "this is fucking easy!! I'm going to ace this course!"

The following week, you'll be saying "eigen-what?"

Reps. That's exactly what it is.

 

[evident]

useful class to understand the math that will be behind the problems you will be solving with matlab or your ti-83 later on in life.

 

[Duddy]

Math and I aren't good bed buddies. I can hardly add/subtract/multiply. Feels like something in my brain is stopping me from learning it.

 

[mcmilljb]

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: skim milk

Originally posted by: DrPizza
It's a course that during the first week, you'll say to yourself "this is fucking easy!! I'm going to ace this course!"

The following week, you'll be saying "eigen-what?"

this has been exactly my experience.

yup...Algebra in the title is very misleading. That class whipped me hard. It should be named "Linear length is very big so just bend over and take it". I am so happy that stuff is not in my field...although I want to get into robotics....so I am pretty much screwed.

It's not misleading because people fail to understand what algebra means. Algebra deals with structures and relations. In linear algebra you are studying the relationships of linear systems and related structures.

 

[Evadman]

http://xkcd.com/184/

 

[MovingTarget]

It depends on what level you take it....

Undergrad: Easy. Mostly calculation and a few theorems you have to know. Very application-oriented
Graduate: Kill yourself. It starts out easy, but then you get into vector spaces, dual spaces, orthonormal matrices, linear functionals, eigenvectors/eigenvalues, decomposition methods, and all other sorts of stuff that will make you want to take a flying leap instead of proving from first principles.

 

[TecHNooB]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
It depends on what level you take it....

Undergrad: Easy. Mostly calculation and a few theorems you have to know. Very application-oriented
Graduate: Kill yourself. It starts out easy, but then you get into vector spaces, dual spaces, orthonormal matrices, linear functionals, eigenvectors/eigenvalues, decomposition methods, and all other sorts of stuff that will make you want to take a flying leap instead of proving from first principles.

Geometry? Psh! Wait.. 400 level grad course. No thanks.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
It depends on what level you take it....

Undergrad: Easy. Mostly calculation and a few theorems you have to know. Very application-oriented
Graduate: Kill yourself. It starts out easy, but then you get into vector spaces, dual spaces, orthonormal matrices, linear functionals, eigenvectors/eigenvalues, decomposition methods, and all other sorts of stuff that will make you want to take a flying leap instead of proving from first principles.

Weird. All that was covered in my 200 level linear algebra class.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I failed this course. Then I retook it with a girl I thought was cute and I did so damn well.

 

[zebano]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
It depends on what level you take it....

Undergrad: Easy. Mostly calculation and a few theorems you have to know. Very application-oriented
Graduate: Kill yourself. It starts out easy, but then you get into vector spaces, dual spaces, orthonormal matrices, linear functionals, eigenvectors/eigenvalues, decomposition methods, and all other sorts of stuff that will make you want to take a flying leap instead of proving from first principles.

Weird. All that was covered in my 200 level linear algebra class.

ditto, but it was a class for math majors not engineers.

 

[pray4mojo]

the only class i got a C in college...

 

[Kirby]

I've taken an Applied Matrix Theory and Intro to Linear Algebra class (both in one class) and I found it much easier than calculus.

 

[Sumguy]

Originally posted by: zebano

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
It depends on what level you take it....

Undergrad: Easy. Mostly calculation and a few theorems you have to know. Very application-oriented
Graduate: Kill yourself. It starts out easy, but then you get into vector spaces, dual spaces, orthonormal matrices, linear functionals, eigenvectors/eigenvalues, decomposition methods, and all other sorts of stuff that will make you want to take a flying leap instead of proving from first principles.

Weird. All that was covered in my 200 level linear algebra class.

ditto, but it was a class for math majors not engineers.

Yeah, they let you pick from two (electrical engineering).

One is a 4000 level class, the other a 3000 (computational linear algebra)...anyone know the difference?

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
It depends on what level you take it....

Undergrad: Easy. Mostly calculation and a few theorems you have to know. Very application-oriented
Graduate: Kill yourself. It starts out easy, but then you get into vector spaces, dual spaces, orthonormal matrices, linear functionals, eigenvectors/eigenvalues, decomposition methods, and all other sorts of stuff that will make you want to take a flying leap instead of proving from first principles.

Weird. All that was covered in my 200 level linear algebra class.

Nothing wierd about it. It is indeed the same subject matter, but it is dealt with in a completely different manner. A 200 level course isn't one that has had much, if any introduction to formal logic or abstract mathematics.

Think about it this way: the formula for the area of a circle is p*r^2. Suppose you only have the properties of rational numbers, the basic operations, and formal logic as axioms. Prove the formula is correct. At this point you don't even know what pi is, and you don't even know that irrational numbers exist. Advanced Calculus is fun like that.

 

[timosyy]

I just took it two semesters ago and my experiences were pretty much in line with DrPizza's first comment.

It is not ridiculously hard... just time-consuming for me really. Very time consuming. Sometimes I would just zone out on exams because I'd look down at my scratch paper and my eyes would start to swim (just a mass of numbers).

 

[ivan2]

it is time to invest into a graphic calculator that can solve them for ya!

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: ivan2
it is time to invest into a graphic calculator that can solve them for ya!

Not really. A graduate level linear algebra course will have very few calculations you ever have to do. I probably only ever did a handful of calculations when I took it. All proofs for the most part.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Basically the underlying thing that you solve in this class is whether a set of vectors forms a basis fora given system. I have yet to see what the point is.

 

[Parasitic]

For an engineer, the really useful stuff in linear algebra is maybe three lectures in an entire semester: linear spaces, Gaussian eliminations and eigenvalues. Everything else is designed to make you feel horribly underprepared so you will give up the desire to declare as a math major or get a math minor.