- #1
bentleyghioda
- 9
- 2
Hi, I’m going to be entering my first year of University this fall to study physics. In my second semester I will have to take a linear algebra course; however, my school has two different lower level linear algebra courses, and I must choose one. One course is focused more on applications of linear algebra, while the other is more focused on proofs. These are the descriptions of the two courses:
MATH 232: Linear equations, matrices, determinants. Introduction to vector spaces and linear transformations and bases. Complex numbers. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors; diagonalization. Inner products and orthogonality; least squares problems. An emphasis on applications involving matrix and vector calculations.
MATH 240: Linear equations, matrices, determinants. Real and abstract vector spaces, subspaces and linear transformations; basis and change of basis. Complex numbers. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors; diagonalization. Inner products and orthogonality; least squares problems. Applications. Subject is presented with an abstract emphasis and includes proofs of the basic theorems.
I am wondering if I would benefit more from the proof based class or the more applied class as a physics major. I do not have a lot of experience with proofs, but I will likely be taking a discrete mathematics course the same semester as linear algebra, and from what I’ve read, this course acts as an introduction to proofs. If it helps to know, I plan on going to grad school for physics, and I would also like to take several upper level math courses.
MATH 232: Linear equations, matrices, determinants. Introduction to vector spaces and linear transformations and bases. Complex numbers. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors; diagonalization. Inner products and orthogonality; least squares problems. An emphasis on applications involving matrix and vector calculations.
MATH 240: Linear equations, matrices, determinants. Real and abstract vector spaces, subspaces and linear transformations; basis and change of basis. Complex numbers. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors; diagonalization. Inner products and orthogonality; least squares problems. Applications. Subject is presented with an abstract emphasis and includes proofs of the basic theorems.
I am wondering if I would benefit more from the proof based class or the more applied class as a physics major. I do not have a lot of experience with proofs, but I will likely be taking a discrete mathematics course the same semester as linear algebra, and from what I’ve read, this course acts as an introduction to proofs. If it helps to know, I plan on going to grad school for physics, and I would also like to take several upper level math courses.