scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1273491

Publication date 7 April 1999

canonical forms determinants eigenvalues eigenvectors factor analysis linear equations linear transformations matrix factoring reduction of matrix textbook vector spaces

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Introductory exposition (textbooks, tutorial papers, etc.) pertaining to linear algebra (15-01) Vector spaces, linear dependence, rank, lineability (15A03) Linear transformations, semilinear transformations (15A04) Linear equations (linear algebraic aspects) (15A06) Determinants, permanents, traces, other special matrix functions (15A15) Eigenvalues, singular values, and eigenvectors (15A18) Canonical forms, reductions, classification (15A21) Factorization of matrices (15A23) Factor analysis and principal components; correspondence analysis (62H25) Direct numerical methods for linear systems and matrix inversion (65F05) Numerical solutions to overdetermined systems, pseudoinverses (65F20)

Review text

The textbook is devoted to the introduction into the subject of linear algebra that studies linear transformations on finite-dimensional vector spaces. In six chapters the whole theme is described in an intuitive and elementary way using the interaction between three concepts: sets of linear equations, matrices and linear transformations. In the first chapter the notion of a matrix using the sets of linear equations in several variables is defined and its relation to the finding of the solution of linear equations is explained. Also the basic algebraic laws with proofs for matrix operations are listed. In the second chapter the vector spaces and their properties are discussed. The following chapter deals with linear transformations and such terms as selfadjoint, normal, positive and unitary transformations, quotient spaces and direct sums. In the fourth chapter the determinant functions are introduced and their properties and methods of evaluation are demonstrated. An example of the calculation of the volume of a parallelepiped using determinants is given. The fifth chapter is treating the reduction of matrices. It is very useful to understand the structure of linear transformations in geometrical forms. If a given matrix is similar to a matrix of a special kind then the linear transformation it determines will be special in a corresponding way. Coming from this the properties of eigenvalues, eigenvectors, characteristic polynomials, selfadjoint operators and quadratic, Hermitian and Jordan canonical forms are analyzed. The application of diagonalizing the real symmetric matrices is illustrated by an example of a statistical method called the factor analysis. The last chapter differs from the corresponding chapter in the first edition. It presents results concerning the factoring of matrices, i.e. four factoring theorems which are important for applications. The book is provided with an index enabling the quick finding of definitions. It is very easy to read and suitable especially for students.

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