Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
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Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
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Re: Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
#2Ten years old discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=351334
Re: Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
#3It's nice to have a free book as a supplement. Linear Algebra Done Right by Sheldon Axler is a much better choice and when making an investment in learning, particularly a difficult subject like linear algebra, saving money with a free text is probably the most expensive thing you can do. You might save $40 but end up not really learning and wasting hours you don't have. Above all, find a good teacher.
Re: Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
#4[deleted]
Re: Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
#5Ten years old discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=351334
If a link is getting hits with comments 10 years later, should there be some sort of special class of points? Everybody else is running JV sprints and this guy is dropping olympic marathons.
Re: Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
#6It's nice to have a free book as a supplement. Linear Algebra Done Right by Sheldon Axler is a much better choice and when making an investment in learning, particularly a difficult subject like linear algebra, saving money with a free text is probably the most expensive thing you can do. You might save $40 but end up not really learning and wasting hours you don't have. Above all, find a good teacher.
Like Gilbert Strang? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK3O402wf1c&list=PL49CF3715C...
Re: Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
#7It's nice to have a free book as a supplement. Linear Algebra Done Right by Sheldon Axler is a much better choice and when making an investment in learning, particularly a difficult subject like linear algebra, saving money with a free text is probably the most expensive thing you can do. You might save $40 but end up not really learning and wasting hours you don't have. Above all, find a good teacher.
What are your particular critiques about this book? There's nothing inherently inferior about a free resource. What makes LADR superior to this book?
Finding a teacher isn't at all mandatory, you can do math yourself by completing exercises, checking your work, and looking at the solution afterwards. There are plenty of places to ask questions if you get stuck.
Re: Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
#8It's nice to have a free book as a supplement. Linear Algebra Done Right by Sheldon Axler is a much better choice and when making an investment in learning, particularly a difficult subject like linear algebra, saving money with a free text is probably the most expensive thing you can do. You might save $40 but end up not really learning and wasting hours you don't have. Above all, find a good teacher.
Why can't a free open source book be equivalent to or better than a more traditional book? First of all the release cycle of the free book should be much faster. Edits and alterations can be incorporated much more rapidly. Giving publishers such control over knowledge can be harmful. Being free does not have to sacrifice quality (this book is written by a mathematician anyway).
Also I recall reading Axler, and I think it covered some more advanced content towards the end. But this book looks equally solid.
Re: Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
#9It's nice to have a free book as a supplement. Linear Algebra Done Right by Sheldon Axler is a much better choice and when making an investment in learning, particularly a difficult subject like linear algebra, saving money with a free text is probably the most expensive thing you can do. You might save $40 but end up not really learning and wasting hours you don't have. Above all, find a good teacher.
What are your particular critiques about this book? There's nothing inherently inferior about a free resource. What makes LADR superior to this book? Finding a teacher isn't at all mandatory, you can do math yourself by completing exercises, checking your work, and looking at the solution afterwards. There are plenty of places to ask questions if you get stuck.
> What makes LADR superior to this book?
Axler's approach for determinants.
Re: Linear Algebra by Jim Hefferon – free textbook
#10What is nice about this book is it includes solutions to exercises. I wish more proof-theoretic books included exercises in the back of the book like this one does. Yes, you can prove something in multiple ways, and no that isn't a good excuse to not include at least one version of the proof in the back of the book. It really benefits the self-learner. The math community seems to have a lot of artificial gatekeeping to keep non-academics out.
They do this in several ways.
1) They recommend textbooks to beginners that are too advanced for their skill level.
2) These textbooks do not include solutions and the advice given is that solutions would somehow rob them of the experience (don't let those that lack self-discipline ruin learning for non-traditional students that aren't in a formal classroom with access to professors and TAs). The self-learner needs some sort of feedback system.
3) They tell the self-learner that solutions aren't provided because everyone has the ability to know if their solutions are correct without having their work checked. Would you write a complicated program and write no test cases, or could you instantly know your program is bug free the first time you write it? Why is math suddenly any different?
Despite popular elitist opinions, I'd recommend this book over Axler for the beginner that doesn't know linear algebra. Everyone says Axler is the perfect first book in linear algebra. It really isn't. Even Axler admits this himself in the preface. He assumes that it is a second approach to the field.
But people like to be elitist and recommend books to beginners that aren't always best from a pedagogical perspective.
Those are the same class of people that recommend Rudin or Spivak to someone that wants to study elementary calculus 1 material.