Advanced Linear Algebra by Steven Roman

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the book "Advanced Linear Algebra" by Steven Roman, focusing on its content, prerequisites, and overall quality as a textbook. Participants share their opinions on the book's comprehensiveness, clarity, and suitability for advanced study in linear algebra.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants praise the book for its comprehensive and rigorous exposition, noting it as the best linear algebra book they have encountered.
  • Others recommend it as a first choice for those seeking an advanced text, emphasizing the necessity of prior coursework in proof-based linear algebra and abstract algebra.
  • One participant suggests that the book should be tagged for easier discovery within the forum.
  • A later reply highlights the enjoyment of the last chapter on "Umbral Calculus" and suggests it should be read after Hoffman's book.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the quality and comprehensiveness of the book, but there are differing opinions on the necessary prerequisites and the order in which it should be read relative to other texts.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express differing views on the prerequisites, with suggestions for additional foundational courses that may enhance understanding of the material.

For those who have used this book

  • Lightly Recommend

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Lightly don't Recommend

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  • Strongly don't Recommend

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  • Author: Steven Roman
  • Title: Advanced Linear Algebra
  • Amazon link https://www.amazon.com/dp/0387728287/?tag=pfamazon01-20
  • Prerequisities: Having completed at least one year of proof based linear algebra. Basic abstract algebra, in particular group and ring theory, is also assumed.
  • Level: Grad

Table of Contents:
Code:
[LIST]
[*] Preliminaries
[LIST]
[*] Part 1: Preliminaries
[*] Part 2: Algebraic Structures
[/LIST]
[*] Part I: Basic Linear Algebra
[LIST]
[*] Vector Spaces
[LIST]
[*] Vector Spaces
[*] Subspaces
[*] Direct Sums
[*] Spanning Sets and Linear Independence
[*] The Dimension of a Vector Space
[*] Ordered Bases and Coordinate Matrices
[*] The Row and Column Spaces of a Matrix
[*] The Complexification of a Real Vector Space
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Linear Transformations
[LIST]
[*] Linear Transformations
[*] The Kernel and Image of a Linear Transformation
[*] Isomorphisms
[*] The Rank Plus Nullity Theorem
[*] Linear Transformations from [itex]F^n[/itex] to [itex]F^m[/itex]
[*] Change of Basis Matrices
[*] The Matrix of a Linear Transformation
[*] Change of Bases for Linear Transformations
[*] Equivalence of Matrices
[*] Similarity of Matrices
[*] Similarity of Operators
[*] Invariant Subspaces and Reducing Pairs
[*] Projection Operators
[*] Topological Vector Spaces
[*] Linear Operators on [itex]V^\mathbb{C}[/itex]
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] The Isomorphism Theorems
[LIST]
[*] Quotient Spaces
[*] The Universal Property of Quotients and the First Isomorphism Theorem
[*] Quotient Spaces, Complements and Codimension
[*] Additional Isomorphism Theorems
[*] Linear Functionals
[*] Dual Bases
[*] Reflexivity
[*] Annihilators
[*] Operator Adjoints
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Modules I: Basic Properties
[LIST]
[*] Motivation
[*] Modules
[*] Submodules
[*] Spanning Sets
[*] Linear Independence
[*] Torsion Elements
[*] Annihilators
[*] Free Modules
[*] Homomorphisms
[*] Quotient Modules
[*] The Correspondence and Isomorphism Theorems
[*] Direct Sums and Direct Summands
[*] Modules Are Not as Nice as Vector Spaces
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Modules II: Free and Noetherian Modules
[LIST]
[*] The Rank of a Free Module
[*] Free Modules and Epimorphisms
[*] Noetherian Modules
[*] The Hilbert Basis Theorem
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Modules over a Principal Ideal Domain
[LIST]
[*] Annihilators and Orders
[*] Cyclic Modules
[*] Free Modules over a Principal Ideal Domain
[*] Torsion-Free and Free Modules
[*] The Primary Cyclic Decomposition Theorem
[*] The Invariant Factor Decomposition
[*] Characterizing Cyclic Modules
[*] Indecomposable Modules
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] The Structure of a Linear Operator
[LIST]
[*] The Module Associated with a Linear Operator
[*] The Primary Cyclic Decomposition of [itex]V_\tau[/itex]
[*] The Characteristic Polynomial
[*] Cyclic and Indecomposable Modules
[*] The Big Picture
[*] The Rational Canonical Form
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
[LIST]
[*] Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
[*] Geometric and Algebraic Multiplicities
[*] The Jordan Canonical Form
[*] Triangularizability and Schur's Theorem
[*] Diagonalizable Operators
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Real and Complex Inner Product Spaces
[LIST]
[*] Norm and Distance
[*] Isometries
[*] Orthogonality
[*] Orthogonal and Orthonormal Sets
[*] The Projection Theorem and Best Approximations
[*] The Riesz Representation Theorem
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Structure Theory for Normal Operators
[LIST]
[*] The Adjoint of a Linear Operator
[*] Unitary Diagonalizability
[*] Normal Operators
[*] Special Types of Normal Operators
[*] Self-Adjoint Operators
[*] Unitary Operators and Isometries
[*] The Structure of Normal Operators
[*] Functional Calculus
[*] Positive Operators
[*] The Polar Decomposition of an Operator
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[/LIST]
[*] Part II: Topics, 257
[LIST]
Metric Vector Spaces: The Theory of Bilinear Forms
[LIST]
[*] Symmetric, Skew-Symmetric and Alternate Forms
[*] The Matrix of a Bilinear Form
[*] Orthogonal Projections
[*] Quadratic Forms
[*] Orthogonality
[*] Linear Functionals
[*] Orthogonal Complements and Orthogonal Direct Sums
[*] Isometries
[*] Hyperbolic Spaces
[*] Nonsingular Completions of a Subspace
[*] The Witt Theorems: A Preview
[*] The Classification Problem for Metric Vector Spaces
[*] Symplectic Geometry
[*] The Structure of Orthogonal Geometries: Orthogonal Bases
[*] The Classification of Orthogonal Geometries: Canonical Forms
[*] The Orthogonal Group
[*] The Witt Theorems for Orthogonal Geometries
[*] Maximal Hyperbolic Subspaces of an Orthogonal Geometry
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Metric Spaces
[LIST]
[*] The Definition
[*] Open and Closed Sets
[*] Convergence in a Metric Space
[*] The Closure of a Set
[*] Dense Subsets
[*] Continuity
[*] Completeness
[*] Isometries
[*] The Completion of a Metric Space
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Hilbert Spaces
[LIST]
[*] A Brief Review
[*] Hilbert Spaces
[*] Infinite Series
[*] An Approximation Problem
[*] Hilbert Bases
[*] Fourier Expansions
[*] A Characterization of Hilbert Bases
[*] Hilbert Dimension
[*] A Characterization of Hilbert Spaces
[*] The Riesz Representation Theorem
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Tensor Products
[LIST]
[*] Universality
[*] Bilinear Maps
[*] Tensor Products
[*] When Is a Tensor Product Zero?
[*] Coordinate Matrices and Rank
[*] Characterizing Vectors in a Tensor Product
[*] Defining Linear Transformations on a Tensor Product
[*] The Tensor Product of Linear Transformations
[*] Change of Base Field
[*] Multilinear Maps and Iterated Tensor Products
[*] Tensor Spaces
[*] Special Multilinear Maps
[*] Graded Algebras
[*] The Symmetric and Antisymmetric Tensor Algebras
[*] The Determinant
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Positive Solutions to Linear Systems: Convexity and Separation
[LIST]
[*] Convex, Closed and Compact Sets
[*] Convex Hulls
[*] Linear and Affine Hyperplanes
[*] Separation
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Affine Geometry
[LIST]
[*] Affine Geometry
[*] Affine Combinations
[*] Affine Hulls
[*] The Lattice of Flats
[*] Affine Independence
[*] Affine Transformations
[*] Projective Geometry
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] Singular Values and the Moore–Penrose Inverse
[LIST]
[*] Singular Values
[*] The Moore–Penrose Generalized Inverse
[*] Least Squares Approximation
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] An Introduction to Algebras
[LIST]
[*] Motivation
[*] Associative Algebras
[*] Division Algebras
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[*] The Umbral Calculus
[LIST]
[*] Formal Power Series
[*] The Umbral Algebra
[*] Formal Power Series as Linear Operators, 477
[*] Sheffer Sequences
[*] Examples of Sheffer Sequences
[*] Umbral Operators and Umbral Shifts
[*] Continuous Operators on the Umbral Algebra
[*] Operator Adjoints
[*] Umbral Operators and Automorphisms of the Umbral Algebra
[*] Umbral Shifts and Derivations of the Umbral Algebra
[*] The Transfer Formulas
[*] A Final Remark
[*] Exercises
[/LIST]
[/LIST]
[*] References
[*] Index of Symbols
[*] Index
[/LIST]

User comments:
  • espen180
    This is the most comprehensive and the best written linear algebra book I have seen. The exposition is clear, thorough, and rigorous. It is a great textbook and is also a good reference book.

  • micromass
    This is a very nice book on linear algebra. If you're looking for an advanced text on linear algebra, then this book should be your first choice. As prerequisites, I recommend a rigorous proof-based linear algebra course on the level of Axler or Lang. Further, an abstract algebra course is absolutely required.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
This should be tagged "Linear Algebra" so that people can find it.
 
espen180 said:
This should be tagged "Linear Algebra" so that people can find it.

Good idea, thanks!
 
A Superb text! this must be taken after reading Hoffman's book. the last chapter on "Umbral Calculus" is a real joy! (the author has a book on it, Umbral Calculus)
 

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