Application Inspired Linear Algebra Free Download

This textbook invites students to discover abstract ideas in linear algebra within the context of applications. Diffusion welding and radiography, the two central applications, are introduced early on and used throughout to frame the practical uses of important linear algebra concepts. Students will learn these methods through explorations, which involve making conjectures and answering open-ended questions. By approaching the subject in this way, new avenues for learning the material emerge: For example, vector spaces are introduced early as the appropriate setting for the applied problems covered; and an alternative, determinant-free method for computing eigenvalues is also illustrated. In addition to the two main applications, the authors also describe possible pathways to other applications, which fall into three main areas: Data and image analysis (including machine learning); dynamical modeling; and optimization and optimal design.