Homework question 15: Linear Algebra by S. Lipshutz and M Lipson

Amazon review link:

http://www.amazon.com/Schaums-Outline-Algebra-Seymour-Lipschutz/dp/00713...

This "Schaum's Outlines" book was helpful to me in the first few weeks of this course (and will likely come in handy again ) for becoming more proficient in matrix operations, definitons of basis, eigenvalues and determinants, and even "elementary" things like vector products, which I haven't used in a while.  I like that the book presents the material clearly and effienciently, in well defined sections.  It serves well to fill in one's gaps in (or just refresh) knowledge of linear algebra without at the same time inundating one with extra theoy.  Without adequate background in linear algebra, I would find ES 240 more difficult, and I think so would others; that is why I recommend it.  I've discovered that graduate courses, including 240, can assume a certain level of ready math skills without taking (much) time to bring everyone to that level--hence "outline" books like this one are a wise complement.

 Now an outline of the book (with the parts that I read for ES 240 highlighted):

1. Vectors in Rn and Cn, Spatial Vectors

2. Algebra of Matrices

3. Systems of Linear Equations

4. Vector Spaces

5. Linear Mappings

6. Linear Mappings and Matrices

7. Inner Product Spaces, Orthogonality

8. Determinants

9. Diagonalization: Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

10. Canonical Forms

11. Linear Functionals and the Dual Space

12. Bilinear, Quadratic, and Hermitian Forms

13. Linear Operators on Inner Product Spaces

14. Multilinear Products