No label defined (Q4023905)

The essential part of this book treats affine and Euclidean geometry. Linear algebra is motivated by geometric considerations. Then it is developed largely as a tool used in investigations of space. The author treats vector spaces over subfields of the complex numbers. A vector space is defined as a nonempty set \(V\), subject to certain rules. One of the defining properties is: There exists an element \(O\in V\dots\) One wonders why the author stresses that \(V\) is nonempty, when he afterwards stipulates the existence of a specific element in \(V\). Similar formulations occur in the definitions of groups and fields. Linear dependence is defined for vectors \(v_ 1,\dots,v_ n\in V\) (Definition 4.8) and then used for the set \(\{v_ 1,\dots,v_ n\}\) in e.g. Proposition 4.8. No word of explanation is offered. The author treats all the usual concepts as matrices, systems of linear equations, determinants, eigenvalues, characteristic polynomials etc. The presentation is smooth and pleasing. It progresses quickly to some nontrivial results like the Laplace expansion of a determinant for minors of order \(k\). Affine planes and affine spaces of dimension 3 are studied in detail. Linear transformation, affine transformations and their relationship are investigated. Properties of bilinear and quadratic forms are derived. The acquired knowledge is then applied to Euclidean spaces, giving features of isometries in particular for the Euclidean plane and culminating in the determination of the finite subgroups of its group of isometries.