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Following an innovative approach to learning, this text integrates paper and pencil skill building and the theoretical development of ideas with geometric exploration and conceptual understanding.
- Tutorials and traditional text. Visual Linear Algebra covers the topics in a standard one-semester introductory linear algebra course in forty-seven sections arranged in eight chapters. In each chapter, some sections are written in a traditional textbook style and some are tutorials designed to be worked through using either Maple or Mathematica.
- About the tutorials Each tutorial is a self-contained treatment of a core topic or application of linear algebra that a student can work through with minimal assistance from an instructor. The thirty tutorials are provided on the accompanying CD both as Maple worksheets and as Mathematica notebooks. They also appear in print as sections of the textbook.
- Geometry is used extensively to help students develop their intuition about the concepts of linear algebra.
- Applications. Students benefit greatly from working through an application, if the application captures their interest and the materials give them substantial activities that yield worthwhile results. Ten carefully selected applications have been developed and an entire tutorial is devoted to each of them.
- Active Learning. To encourage students to be active learners, the tutorials have been designed to engage and retain their interest. The exercises, demonstrations, explorations, visualizations, and animations are designed to stimulate studentsa interest, encourage them to think clearly about the mathematics they are working through, and help them check their comprehension.
On the Back Cover
A difference you can see!
Featuring a unique blend of interactive computer tutorials and student-centered text, Herman and Pepe's Visual Linear Algebra offers an innovative new way to learn linear algebra. This text and accompanying CD work together to help students achieve a thorough understanding of core concepts and the skills they need to apply them.
With Visual Linear Algebra, students can
- Become actively engaged in the material. The exercises, demonstrations, explorations, visualizations, and animations in the tutorials stimulate student interest, encourage students to think about mathematics, and help them check their comprehension.
- Build a strong geometric understanding. The authors use geometry extensively to help students develop an intuitive understanding of the concepts of linear algebra.
- Learn the language of linear algebra. The authors' innovative "Can You Speak Linear Algebra?" exercises help students use mathematical terminology correctly in their written work.
- Work through interesting applications. Ten fascinating applications, each thoroughly developed in its own tutorial, allow readers to engage in substantial activities that yield worthwhile results.
- Develop an intuitive grasp of the concepts. Visual Linear Algebra progresses from the concrete and experiential to the abstract and theoretical, to help students develop confidence in their understanding and make the transition to higher mathematics.
