What's a good book on intro analynical geometry?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on finding suitable textbooks for introductory analytical geometry concepts, including vectors, cross product, dot product, line equations, and plane equations. The user expresses frustration with their current textbook's lack of depth and understanding of the material. Recommended books include "About Vectors" by Banesh Hoffman and "A Vector Space Approach to Geometry" by Melvin Hausner, both of which provide clearer explanations and applications of the concepts. The user seeks resources that emphasize understanding over memorization to improve their problem-solving skills.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of vectors and their operations
  • Familiarity with line and plane equations
  • Knowledge of cross product and dot product
  • Introductory concepts of discrete mathematics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research "About Vectors" by Banesh Hoffman for foundational concepts
  • Explore "A Vector Space Approach to Geometry" by Melvin Hausner for advanced insights
  • Study applications of analytical geometry in problem-solving contexts
  • Investigate online resources or courses focusing on vectors and their applications
USEFUL FOR

High school students studying discrete mathematics, educators seeking engaging teaching materials, and anyone looking to strengthen their understanding of analytical geometry concepts.

p3t3r1
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Hi, I am doing the Discrete math course in high school and we are doing some analynical math concepts like
vectors,
cross product,
dot product,
line equation in the form of r = a + tm,
plane equations in the form of r = a +tu +sv,
intersection of lines
and planes and planes and planes etc..

I don't really know which branch of mathematics they belong to and after reading about 3 pages of book recommendations I couldn't find anything on them. Seems of to full of calculus for the most part. Can anyone suggest some good textbooks for a beginner? My school's textbook is quite boring and horrible since it tells you how but not why. This is really hard when application questions come up on a test. You can memorize all the concepts you want but you can't solve it unless you know what it is about. This thinking "outside the box" is driving me crazy and I think I need to understand the math concepts before doing anymore homework.

My math background isn't exactly great since I focused on memorization during my early years. Thus, I forget most of the Grade 11 mathematics I learned before other than the stuff I need for my current math course. Bummer. Thanks for any recommendations.
 
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Maybe About Vectors by Banesh Hoffman. Here's the table of contents. Or maybe this book, which has more on lines and planes. At a more advanced level, there's A Vector Space Approach to Geometry by Melvin Hausner. He does use a little calculus here and there, but you could probably just ignore it. (No, I don't have stock in Dover, :rolleyes: I just like their selection of books).
 
Last edited:
Some great books there. Thanks a lot. :smile:
 

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