# A good book for a second year linear algebra course?

by iceblits
Tags: algebra, book, linear
 P: 113 Just wondering if anyone can recommend a good linear algebra book for a second year course. In my first semester I learned up to Gram Schmidt process..EigenValues/Vectors etc. I don't care too much about how "easy" the book is to read. A book heavy in theory will do nicely if that's what you have in mind.
 PF Gold P: 712 axler
 P: 26 If your first course was rigorous, try Advanced Linear Algebra by Roman. If not, check out Axler, Hoffman & Kunze, and Friedberg. Best of luck.
HW Helper
P: 9,453
A good book for a second year linear algebra course?

Here are my notes from a summer course I taught a while back, meant as a second linear algebra course. Our text for the course was officially Friedberg, Insel, and Spence, which I thought was good. My approach differs from theirs mainly in my extensive use of the concept of the minimal polynomial of a linear map, as an organizing principle. For some reason Insel, et al. seemed the feel that using polynomials made the course too advanced. I also used Shilov as a supplementary text.

Obviously I am not qualified to call my book good, but it is free. Objectively I would say it probably lacks sufficient examples and problems, but overall I enjoyed learning and explaining the ideas while writing it.
Attached Files
 4050sum08notes.pdf (468.3 KB, 40 views)
 Mentor P: 18,019 Check this: http://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?b=3206 I think Hoffman and Kunze would be an ideal book for you.
 Sci Advisor HW Helper P: 9,453 I agree with the other recommendations here under the rubric "good". I just offered mine because its free. Hoffman and Kunze especially is a classic, (but sometimes pricy). Here is a reasonable one though, used: http://www.biblio.com/search.php?aut...aler_id=133308 LINEAR ALGEBRA Kunze, Ray & Hoffman, Kenneth Bookseller: Samkat Books (Dyersburg, TN, U.S.A.) Bookseller Rating: Quantity Available: 1 Price: US$22.50 Convert Currency Shipping: US$ 4.00 Within U.S.A. Destination, Rates & Speeds Book Description: Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N. J., 1961. Hardcover. Book Condition: Ex-Library; G/NONE. Not Latest Edition. Moderate edge wear. Previous owner's name marked out inside front cover. Pages clean, binding good. ; 332 pages. Bookseller Inventory # 63391
 P: 125 either Linear Algebra Done Right (which is the Axler everybody is talking about) or if you have an ok background in group theory, then I'd say go for Advanced Linear Algebra (again, people have already recommended this one, it's by Steven Roman) the later is a little more robust, as it is intended for graduate students in mathematics, where the former is intended for upper level undergraduates. An additional one I thought about that might work for you if you want a short, free text to be a bridge between where you are now and then picking up Roman's book: http://www.math.miami.edu/~ec/book/ It's free to download the whole thing and it focuses on learning the algebra necessary to get into a more in depth exploration of linear algebra.
 P: 113 Hey thanks so much for the quick replies I'm currently browsing through the books suggested here and I'm leaning towards getting both Axler and Roman or Roman and Kunze, Ray &Hoffman, Kenneth. It seems Roman is the more rigorous book choice and If I get lost going through that I'll fall back on Axler and the free texts listed here. MathWonk and bpatrick thanks so much for the links to the free texts..MathWonk Ill check out your's out as soon as the pdf is approved and the link is available :)
 Sci Advisor HW Helper P: 9,453 for my book try this page: http://www.math.uga.edu/~roy/ also i recommend an excellent book, linear algebra done wrong, by sergei treil. it is not amateurishly composed like mine but professionally done. also free on his website. http://www.math.brown.edu/~treil/
 P: 47 I prefer Shilov over Axler or Hoffman & Kunze.
 P: 113 MathWonk Thanks for the links! I was looking through your book and the material seems to be within my grasp which is good news..I think

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