The main goal was to prepare an interactive material
that consits of a closed lecture about linear algebra
for students in universities.
Here are some aspects that we had in mind:
- It should be an interactive text to be used
with MuPAD on screen. Therefore, new ideas
and concepts should be developed.
We wanted to avoid just a copy of
a classical book for linear algebra.
- It should consists of a closed introduction
to linear algebra on the level of a first year
university lecture.
- It should be more a practical approach with many
examples and exercises than a new theoretical
approach to linear algebra.
Following this aspect, no proofs for theorems were
given but hints and sometimes references to
some classical literature (like the one of Kowalsky)
that may be used as an accompaniment to this lecture.
Nevertheless, it consists of many definitions and
theorems that are fixed with many examples. With
the hypertext functionality of the help tool of
MuPAD it is possible to search and jump through the
complete document.
When, for instance, the student
does not remember the correct definition of a group
when introducing a vector space, the student has just to
click with his mouse of the underlined word "group" and he
will get the corresponding definition.
- The function of the linear algebra package of MuPAD
should not be given as black box functions but as
a tool to make some larger calculations easier or
to introduce a certain part of the lecture before
giving its theoretical background.
All the algorithms of the used functions should be
explained and their implementation into MuPAD may be
left to the student as exercises.
Therefore, at the end of the lecture, the
student may have written its own small linear algebra
package.
Until now, this book was not published!
The author of this book is interested in exchanging experiences
about writing and using interactive texts.
Please feel free to contact
Frank Postel or
to visit the
corresponding page on the author's home page.
Similar to the concept of the Interactive
Linear Algebra Book it is planned to prepare interactive
materials for a first year mathematics course for students
of economy. We will give you more information as soon as
first parts were written.
Moreover, interactive materials for 2-dimensional geometry
(together with an extraordinary designed library called
geometrie
)
and for learning integral transformations
will be developed.
Author: Frank Postel
Last updated: 24 May 1996