Page 7 - Matrix Analysis & Applied Linear Algebra

Preface xi

there is an emphasis on numerical issues designed to prepare students to use
linear algebra in scientific environments outside the classroom.
Computing Projects
Computing projects help solidify concepts, and I include many exercises
that can be incorporated into a laboratory setting. But my goal is to write a
mathematics text that can last, so I don’t muddy the development by marrying
the material to a particular computer package or language. I am old enough
to remember what happened to the FORTRAN- and APL-based calculus and
linear algebra texts that came to market in the 1970s. I provide instructors with a
flexible environment that allows for an ancillary computing laboratory in which
any number of popular packages and lab manuals can be used in conjunction
with the material in the text.

History
Finally, I believe that revealing only the scaffolding without teaching some-
thing about the scientific architects who erected it deprives students of an im-
portant part of their mathematical heritage. It also tends to dehumanize mathe-
matics, which is the epitome of human endeavor. Consequently, I make an effort
to say things (sometimes very human things that are not always complimentary)
about the lives of the people who contributed to the development and applica-
tions of linear algebra. But, as I came to realize, this is a perilous task because
writing history is frequently an interpretation of facts rather than a statement
of facts. I considered documenting the sources of the historical remarks to help
mitigate the inevitable challenges, but it soon became apparent that the sheer
volume required to do so would skew the direction and flavor of the text. I can
only assure the reader that I made an effort to be as honest as possible, and
I tried to corroborate “facts.” Nevertheless, there were times when interpreta-
tions had to be made, and these were no doubt influenced by my own views and
experiences.

Supplements
Included with this text is a solutions manual and a CD-ROM. The solutions
manual contains the solutions for each exercise given in the book. The solutions
are constructed to be an integral part of the learning process. Rather than just
providing answers, the solutions often contain details and discussions that are
intended to stimulate thought and motivate material in the following sections.
The CD, produced by Vickie Kearn and the people at SIAM, contains the entire
book along with the solutions manual in PDF format. This electronic version
of the text is completely searchable and linked. With a click of the mouse a
student can jump to a referenced page, equation, theorem, definition, or proof,
and then jump back to the sentence containing the reference, thereby making
learning quite efficient. In addition, the CD contains material that extends his-
torical remarks in the book and brings them to life with a large selection of