Taking first course in linear algebra

[theoristo]

I'm going to do linear algebra for first time,so I look online and found Halmos' Linear Algebra Problem Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/0883853221/?tag=pfamazon01-20 ,does it fit in the course(does it teach everything without much prequistes?),what book do I use after that? Any suggestion or better books?

 

[DuncanM]

Where are you going to take this first Linear Algebra course (i.e. - what school)?

Most first-year Linear Algebra courses are very similar; they all cover the same material. However, if you are enrolled in an upcoming program at a college or university, why not just surf that school's website and find out exactly what book they use for the course you are planning to take. That way, you are not purchasing two books for the same material. And by purchasing the book for the course before the course starts, you will get a bit of a head start on the material (assuming you work through some of the problem sets). If you can't find the book listed on the school website, make a few calls to the school. It would be worth your time.

If you really want to buy a textbook on your own, regardless of what course you may take, you might consider the textbook used in MIT's OpenCourseware for their Linear Algebra course:

"Introduction to Linear Algebra, Fourth Edition"
by Gilbert Strang

Hope this helps.