Linear Algebra and Its Applications, Third Updated Edition | 
| Author: David C. Lay
Publisher: Addison Wesley
Category: Book
List Price: $69.88
Buy New: $69.00
You Save: $0.88 (1%)
New (26) Used (47) from $20.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 16687
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 3
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 576
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 8.2 x 1
ISBN: 0321287134
Dewey Decimal Number: 512.5
EAN: 9780321287137
ASIN: 0321287134
Publication Date: September 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Linear algebra is relatively easy for students during the early stages of the course, when the material is presented in a familiar, concrete setting. But when abstract concepts are introduced, students often hit a brick wall. Instructors seem to agree that certain concepts (such as linear independence, spanning, subspace, vector space, and linear transformations), are not easily understood, and require time to assimilate. Since they are fundamental to the study of linear algebra, students' understanding of these concepts is vital to their mastery of the subject. Lay introduces these concepts early in a familiar, concrete Rn setting, develops them gradually, and returns to them again and again throughout the text so that when discussed in the abstract, these concepts are more accessible.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Ver little help on tough concepts October 2, 2008
This book is an overview of Linear Algebra rather than a comprehensive study. The problems that really dwell deep into the concepts are left unanswered even when the problem is odd. You go to the back of the book and the answer isn't there; instead, it tells you to go to the STUDY GUIDE for the answer. Here's the clincher. You buy a $30 study guide, and then you flip to the correct section and the ANSWER ISN'T THERE. This is a BAD SALES SCHEME. The author claims that giving students answers inhibits critical thinking, but it's clear that he really intends for unwary students to buy his study guide so he can get money without exerting minimum mental effort. I strongly discourage people from buying this book. You'd be better off asking for help on the internet blogs.
 Very easy book to understand September 28, 2008
This book is very readable and has plenty of examples that make sense. The book is definitely organized in an order that makes sense to follow it straight through, and not jump ahead since many of the concepts build upon themselves and others.
 Excellent September 15, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought it used for half the price of the same book used at my college textbook, and yet when I received it the book was practically brand new. Excellent Service.
 Confusion and Misdirection September 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a very confusing book. Most students will have experienced simple operations with matrices at some point in their algebra education. But that's not linear algebra. Linear algebra is about vector spaces and linear transformations.
This book takes the approach of introducing a wide range of topics in the first chapter and then in subsequent chapters presenting topics that build on the preliminaries from the first chapter, but never going back and ties things together.
The organization can be VERY confusing. The ideas are never brought together in a meaningful way. This book is full of digrams and definition boxes that obscure the flow of the text, what little there is. In addition, I had an instructor who was not a native english speaker so my linear algebra class was very challenging.
If you have this book for a class, be prepared to spend a lot of time flipping pages, attempting to connect the dots. There are much better linear algebra books out there.
 Covers all material, terrible terrible exercises, often brief explainations August 25, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've used this book for two university classes. The book covers the material conceptually well, but the exercises are written as though you've masted the material before doing any exercises: basic theorems introduced in the book are not covered in simple exercises, and a high understanding is required to answer even some of the early exercises.
The study guide/answers solution guide is not terribly helpful, often giving answers without showing the needed work to get there (often the only reason you're reaching for the study guide in the first place).
If you have a choice between two classes, one which uses this book and another which doesn't, take the other class: avoid this book. If you just want to learn linear algebra, there's much better books out there. Avoid this book. Go with another book that doesn't have majorly negative reviews.
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