Introductory Linear Algebra: An Applied First Course (8th Edition) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Bernard Kolman, David R. Hill
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Category: Book
List Price: $141.33
Buy Used: $60.00
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Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 207956
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 8
Pages: 768
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.2
Dimensions (in): 10 x 8 x 1.3
ISBN: 0131437402
Dewey Decimal Number: 512.5
EAN: 9780131437401
Publication Date: August 12, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
This book presents an introduction to linear algebra and to some of its significant applications. It covers the essentials of linear algebra (including Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors) and shows how the computer is used for applications. Emphasizing the computational and geometrical aspects of the subject, this popular book covers the following topics comprehensively but not exhaustively: linear equations and matrices and their applications; determinants; vectors and linear transformations; real vector spaces; eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and diagonalization; linear programming; and MATLAB for linear algebra. Its useful and comprehensive appendices make this an excellent desk reference for anyone involved in mathematics and computer applications.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Best math book I've ever had May 9, 2000
Lo (Orlando, FL USA)
18 out of 20 found this review helpful
This book is a fabulous resource... explains things in as clear a way as Linear Algebra can be. If you want deeper understanding, many concepts are described in more depth, and most proofs are given in detail. It's not filled with cartoons and useless pictures like some textbooks, but clear, concise explanations of what turns out to be an interesting and fairly simple area of mathematics.
 A math book July 17, 2003
Walter (Pittstown, NJ United States)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
This isn't the easiest linear text I've scene. This also isn't the hardest. The book has a ton of applications, which is good if you're an applied math, engineering, or science major. If your interests are in pure math the applications are still a nice little side note. The book's explanations are explained as clearly as possible without giving up any rigor. At first I didn't like the book, but after looking at several other linear textbooks I realized that these authors did a good job of explaining a difficult topic.
 Unhelpful in the extreme September 14, 2007
Richard Christopher (St. Louis, MO)
Chapters 1, 2, and 4 are pretty well done up to a point. The explanations, examples, and problems are well written and can be followed without cross referencing other texts and pages on the web. You will learn the basics here without too much of a fuss.
Unfortunately, the book has a nasty habit of circular proofs. The author leaves out vital parts of the explanation in the text, referencing other parts of the text, which reference other parts of the text, and then ask you to solve the underlying proof yourself without explaining the fundamentals at all. The book also references FORWARD into chapters you have not gotten to yet in order to solve current proofs. This is not at all helpful. If your professor requires you to solve any of the proofs in any section you will be lost. Good luck.
Chapter 6 is an all-around disaster. Unless you have seen the material before, you will not get it here. The explanation at the beginning of the chapter cannot really be called an explanation. It is more of an obfuscation. The notation is not explained, it is assumed you know it or can figure it out on your own. The proofs in this chapter are a maze of unexplained concepts and hidden information.
Chapters 8 and 10 are more like the first chapters in usability, but the proofs are just as jumbled.
Intervening chapters from the ones I have described are applications of the material from previous chapters and are optional.
Buy another book (or two or three) as a supplement. You will need it.
 One of the WORST textbooks I ever used August 31, 2006
M. Lin
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
This book sucks at explaining, half the examples in this book just refer you to other examples/exercises that you have to complete yourself. HOW DOES THIS HELP IF YOU HAVE TO DO THE PROBLEM YOURSELF??!? Half the practice problems are theoretical questions that do not help you in understanding the concept whatsoever. The only thing it does is confuse and frustrate you more. Whoever uses this textbook to teach is obviously incompetent and/or has not looked it over at all.
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