Struggling with Linear Algebra: Where to Find Help?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around seeking help with linear algebra, specifically focusing on function spaces, polynomial interpolation, and orthogonal expansion. Participants share resources and strategies for understanding these topics, as well as personal experiences with learning linear algebra.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty in understanding linear algebra and requests resources for specific topics.
  • Another suggests getting a tutor and emphasizes the importance of personalized guidance, recommending that the original poster post specific homework questions for assistance.
  • A participant questions whether proving theorems, a method that worked in analysis, would be effective for learning linear algebra.
  • Another participant shares their perspective on learning algebra, suggesting a focus on relationships and applications rather than theorem proving.
  • A later reply recommends Khan Academy's video tutorials as a helpful resource for understanding linear algebra concepts.
  • One participant mentions that the topics requested suggest an interest in vector spaces and linear maps, recommending specific textbooks and resources, including Mike Artin's and Shilov's books.
  • They also mention the method of "Gram-Schmidt" as a relevant technique to explore.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best approach to learning linear algebra, with differing opinions on the effectiveness of proving theorems versus focusing on relationships and applications. Multiple resources and strategies are suggested, indicating a variety of perspectives on the topic.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note that their learning experiences differ, which may affect the applicability of their suggestions. There is also a mention of specialized topics within linear algebra that may not be universally covered in all resources.

mathsdespair
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Hi everyone.
Long time lurker first time poster.
I am taking a linear algebra class this semester and I am really struggling.
Does anyone have any good resources for learning/understanding function spaces, polynomial interpolation and orthogonal expansion etc..?
Thanks
 
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Welcome to PF;
Get a tutor.

There is a whole section on recommended textbooks and resources - the trouble is that we don't know you well enough to figure out what will work well for you and everyone is different.

A better approach will be to post some questions about your homework here and let us guide you through them - then you can learn how to handle them. It is still quicker to get a tutor.
 
Ok thanks. Part of the problem is I do not know how to revise it. I did really well in analysis and I learned it by proving theorems, should I apply the same technique to linear?
 
I don't know. It's not an approach I'd use but you may learn things differently to me.
I see algebra as the grammar and syntax of mathematics - you practice putting sentences together.
The idea is to tease out relationships which may not be obvious ... so I'd concentrate on the relationships and the applications. OTOH I did not do well in algebra until my physics caught up and that's common with students.

Usually proving theorems can work well when your trouble is that you don't trust the foundations the later mathematical arguments are built on - you have trouble seeing how one part links with the others.

I still think that post #2 has the best advise for you going forward.
 
mathsdespair said:
Does anyone have any good resources for learning/understanding function spaces, polynomial interpolation and orthogonal expansion etc..?
Thanks

You might like taking a look at Khan Academy's video tutorials on the Linear Algebra course. They are helping me understand a lot many things :)
 
your list of desired topics makes me think you want to know about vector spaces and linear maps in the presence of an inner product. this is a somewhat specialized topic within linear algebra, but quite standard. a good source might be mike artin's algebra book, or maybe shilov's book linear algebra, (shilov is very good and very cheap).\\

https://www.amazon.com/dp/048663518X/?tag=pfamazon01-20

i have a lot of free linear algebra books on my web page

http://www.math.uga.edu/~roy/

but i tend to somewhat ignore those subtopics of spaces with inner products. you may want to learn the method of "gram schmidt".
 
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