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 extreme proficiency 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.

About The Author


David C. Lay holds a B.A. from Aurora University (Illinois), and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles. Lay has been an educator and research mathematician since 1966, mostly at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Amsterdam, the Free University in Amsterdam, and the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany. He has over thirty research articles published in functional analysis and linear algebra.

As a founding member of the NSF-sponsored Linear Algebra Curriculum Study Group, Lay has been a leader in the current movement to modernize the linear algebra curriculum. Lay is also co-author of several mathematics texts, including Introduction to Functional Analysis, with Angus E. Taylor, Calculus and Its Applications, with L.J. Goldstein and D.I. Schneider, and Linear Algebra Gems-Assets for Undergraduate Mathematics, with D. Carlson, C.R. Johnson, and A.D. Porter.

A top-notch educator, Professor Lay has received four university awards for teaching excellence, including, in 1996, the title of Distinguished Scholar-Teacher of the University of Maryland. In 1994, he was given one of the Mathematical Association of America's Awards for Distinguished College or Unviersity Teaching of Mathematics. He has been elected by the university students to membership in Alpha Lambda Delta National Scholastic Honor Society and Golden Key National Honor Society. In 1989, Aurora University conferred on him the Outstanding Alumnus award. Lay is a member of the American Mathematical Society, the Canadian Mathematical Society, the International Linear Algebra Society, the Mathematical Association of America, Sigma Xi, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. Since 1992, he has served several terms on the national board of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences.

Reader Reviews
i'm not going to write 3 paragraphs about how much i love math, and what my fricking sat score was and how many A's i have as most nerds do when they review a math book. i am a math nerd too, but i'll keep the discussion to why i dislike the book (which will be short too, as i need to get back to studying it!) 1. i found there to be a nagging disconnect between the material covered and the exercises. i don't mind difficult problems, but at least appreciate some help from text. if i just wanted to figure it all out on my own i wouldn't have bought the book. 2. the study guide is not very useful. it provides solutions to every other odd problem. true / false answers just refer you back to the book and tell you to check your answers. 3. the text's answers to true/false problems tell you to think about it, then consult the study guide. see 2 above. basically, i enjoy the material, my prof is great, the book is a big disappointment. if it wasn't for my prof's enthusiasm for the subject i'd be frustrated and not select any additional linear algebra electives. luckily, i do look forward to additional courses as the material is extremely useful in industry, i'm an applied math person. finally, i searched for another text to supplement my studies and settled on Matrix Analysis and Applied Linear Algebra by Meyer, and look forward to its arrival. my second choice was: Linear Algebra : A Modern Introduction (with CD-ROM) by Poole, and it was a close second. both texts are highly recommended and very focused on applied subject matter. both have well developed websites, ect... but Meyer's text was published by SIAM with a stong focus on how the material is being used in practice. it also comes with a searchable, printable version of the text (and possibly study guide) on the cd. if you want a balanced view before you buy this text. go to the 3rd ed, not the 3rd ed updated, and read some of the negative reviews in addition to the good ones. my experience was similar to many of those negagive reviews. disappointment and frustration with a very popular text. good luck. Comment | | (Report this)

Available from Amazon Price: $74.98 Updated on 6-4-2008.