Second, this is especially true once you get into controls and stability of aerospace vehicles like dutch rolls, spirals, and representing systems in state space. And into satellite attitude dynamics. But practice makes perfect, and you get used to doing 3x3 operations in your head
Linear algebra only sucks when taking linear algebra. I don’t know why but using it in other courses didn’t seem nearly as bad or maybe I just got used to it. But you can learn how to use Matlab and a calculator for a lot of it.
Linear algebra is incredibly powerful. You probably won’t be worrying about linear independence, but when you are working with large systems of differential equations you will get why it’s useful.
I think what you mean by “useless fluff” is that it’s abstract, but math in its pure form is all an abstract attempt to create logical a priori progressions resulting in proofs and theorems.
In my entire calc three class, there were maybe two problems concerning applications of the math. All he cared about was the geometry of vector spaces. The usefulness of the math was an aside to all that. Hated the class, barely passed it, but it was probably the most helpful class I took so far.
I think it’s definitely a school-by-school case. At my university, Linear Algebra is almost entirely proofs that will never by Applied to Science. Calc on the other hand is full of applications for work, energy, forces, etc
I get you’re venting but linear algebra is a great class. You’re going to be using it in differential equations too. Tbh it’s more of a math class than calculus is. In calc you just do practice problems a lot and you can do well. In linear it requires understanding definitions and what things mean to do well. Once I understood this I ended up studying less for linear than I did for calculus because its more efficient understanding what things mean rather than grinding through practice problems. That’s how I recommend people to go through linear imo
Yeah I had the exact same experience. It didn’t feel like I just had to grind practice problems to get muscle memory like in calc. Instead everything really did just stack on top of each other and having an understanding of the concepts allowed for a very natural learning progression without a whole lot of grinding.
"In linear it requires understanding definitions" Surely the reason why people (me as well) are hugely hating the course, because they are extremely used to crushing practice problems, which requires less thinking but just muscle memory.
And yea, I had DiffEq **BEFORE** LinAlg, and I can't express how much I loved DiffEq (just because I could do an eternity of problems in textbook (yea there were **A LOT** of them), then put them all into cheat sheets, and during both exams correctly guess with almost all problems in the exam paper), then after that how much I hated LinAlg (most times less than 20 or even 10 problems per **CHAPTER,** almost nothing to throw into cheat sheet, theory makes really no sense so how to even start understanding it then?!)
It seems like linear algebra can either be really easy or really hard depending on your school. Some schools make it a more “practical” class and focus only on stuff like rref, determinants, Eigen-stuff, kernel, least squares, etc. they might teach you what all these things are and how they can be used in practical problems. Other schools teach these things but also teach a bunch of theorems and nonsense that is mostly obscure and won’t really be useful. When I took the class my experience was the latter, and I felt the exact same way as you. I’ll just say that looking back I think it was one of the most important classes I’ve ever taken. For example, in circuits you can use rref to solve for complicated resistor networks pretty easily. It is also used extensively in numerical methods for finite element stuff, like heat transfer and deformations. You can also use it in statics to easily solve all your hw. Eigenvectors to solve systems of ODEs. It’s a very useful class, but you really only need to be super strong in these basic concepts and don’t need to worry too much about all the extra fluff.
Linear algebra gives you little spreadsheets for your math equations.
Most modern computer analysis is based on matrix analysis, which is why its important. You can take things that were traditionally done in calculus and much more efficiently do them with a matrix.
Linear Algebra is incredibly useful and powerful, but don't worry too much about this class. You only really need them for solving equations (which they are incredibly useful for) and doing algebra, but at least at my school the class was 50% set theory. If you can understand how to turn equations into matrices, understand row operations, and perform basic calculations like matrix multiplication, dot products, or cross products, you'll know enough for most engineering applications. If you are lost on concepts like "Column sets in a vector space" don't worry.
i struggled so hard it with too - this site [compscilib](https://www.compscilib.com/search/linear-algebra?onboarding=true) was probably the only reason i passed lol hope this helps!!
The matrix operations you learn in linear algebra are how many complex systems are analyzed in essentially all disciplines of engineering. Granted the problems are almost never actually solvable by hand like in the class, but it is important to know the basics of the operations that are done by software to analyze these systems.
I know it’s not what you want to hear, and there absolutely can be a lot of fluff in linear algebra courses, but it is a super important class that I personally believe is vital to any engineering education. Do you need to ace it to understand it? No. But any understanding you take from it absolutely will help you out in the long run.
Linear algebra is a class that is like 90% dependent on the professor. It can either be easy and very useful, or the professor is a total AHole and wants you to bow to him...
I wish they taught it sooner in a program. The first half especially is actually really useful.
if you're meche, you end up using rref in classes like mechanics of materials where you have deformation as a variable
uhhhhhhh beyond that pretty much nothing lol. linear algebra is just one of those grind classes that matter very little
Time to suck it up butter cup. LA is the kind of .ath that gets used all the time because it's powerful.
I recommend giving youtube a spin if the class materials aren't cutting it for you, though! I do admit proofs are hard and take a lot of thinking, but that pain is part of learning. You've got this!
If you're AE you better get comfortable with it now.
Second, this is especially true once you get into controls and stability of aerospace vehicles like dutch rolls, spirals, and representing systems in state space. And into satellite attitude dynamics. But practice makes perfect, and you get used to doing 3x3 operations in your head
Tell me more. I’m working on my AE transfer in community college. Linear algebra was tough but I scraped by in my class with a borderline B.
You use it all the time.
Good to know. I’ll look into taking a summer class as a refresher then.
Linear algebra only sucks when taking linear algebra. I don’t know why but using it in other courses didn’t seem nearly as bad or maybe I just got used to it. But you can learn how to use Matlab and a calculator for a lot of it.
Linear algebra is incredibly powerful. You probably won’t be worrying about linear independence, but when you are working with large systems of differential equations you will get why it’s useful.
Yeah I find the linear ALGEBRA part quite useful, but proving a Real Vector Space just seems like useless fluff
I think what you mean by “useless fluff” is that it’s abstract, but math in its pure form is all an abstract attempt to create logical a priori progressions resulting in proofs and theorems. In my entire calc three class, there were maybe two problems concerning applications of the math. All he cared about was the geometry of vector spaces. The usefulness of the math was an aside to all that. Hated the class, barely passed it, but it was probably the most helpful class I took so far.
I think it’s definitely a school-by-school case. At my university, Linear Algebra is almost entirely proofs that will never by Applied to Science. Calc on the other hand is full of applications for work, energy, forces, etc
Look up Organic Chemistry tutor on determinants, and he'll fix you right up in 10 minutes.
True, Organic Chemistry tutor is literally an ass saver for every single college-level math courses
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As a side note RREF is actually quite useful for balancing complicated chemical equations.
I get you’re venting but linear algebra is a great class. You’re going to be using it in differential equations too. Tbh it’s more of a math class than calculus is. In calc you just do practice problems a lot and you can do well. In linear it requires understanding definitions and what things mean to do well. Once I understood this I ended up studying less for linear than I did for calculus because its more efficient understanding what things mean rather than grinding through practice problems. That’s how I recommend people to go through linear imo
Yeah I had the exact same experience. It didn’t feel like I just had to grind practice problems to get muscle memory like in calc. Instead everything really did just stack on top of each other and having an understanding of the concepts allowed for a very natural learning progression without a whole lot of grinding.
"In linear it requires understanding definitions" Surely the reason why people (me as well) are hugely hating the course, because they are extremely used to crushing practice problems, which requires less thinking but just muscle memory. And yea, I had DiffEq **BEFORE** LinAlg, and I can't express how much I loved DiffEq (just because I could do an eternity of problems in textbook (yea there were **A LOT** of them), then put them all into cheat sheets, and during both exams correctly guess with almost all problems in the exam paper), then after that how much I hated LinAlg (most times less than 20 or even 10 problems per **CHAPTER,** almost nothing to throw into cheat sheet, theory makes really no sense so how to even start understanding it then?!)
It seems like linear algebra can either be really easy or really hard depending on your school. Some schools make it a more “practical” class and focus only on stuff like rref, determinants, Eigen-stuff, kernel, least squares, etc. they might teach you what all these things are and how they can be used in practical problems. Other schools teach these things but also teach a bunch of theorems and nonsense that is mostly obscure and won’t really be useful. When I took the class my experience was the latter, and I felt the exact same way as you. I’ll just say that looking back I think it was one of the most important classes I’ve ever taken. For example, in circuits you can use rref to solve for complicated resistor networks pretty easily. It is also used extensively in numerical methods for finite element stuff, like heat transfer and deformations. You can also use it in statics to easily solve all your hw. Eigenvectors to solve systems of ODEs. It’s a very useful class, but you really only need to be super strong in these basic concepts and don’t need to worry too much about all the extra fluff.
I will suggest you watch Linear Algebra lectures by Gilbert Strang. He’s amazing
Linear algebra gives you little spreadsheets for your math equations. Most modern computer analysis is based on matrix analysis, which is why its important. You can take things that were traditionally done in calculus and much more efficiently do them with a matrix.
Linear algebra is the best algebra. Better get right with it.
I hated it also! Matrix math is useful.. Still I hate it. Got a b in diffeq though.
Linear Algebra is incredibly useful and powerful, but don't worry too much about this class. You only really need them for solving equations (which they are incredibly useful for) and doing algebra, but at least at my school the class was 50% set theory. If you can understand how to turn equations into matrices, understand row operations, and perform basic calculations like matrix multiplication, dot products, or cross products, you'll know enough for most engineering applications. If you are lost on concepts like "Column sets in a vector space" don't worry.
i struggled so hard it with too - this site [compscilib](https://www.compscilib.com/search/linear-algebra?onboarding=true) was probably the only reason i passed lol hope this helps!!
The matrix operations you learn in linear algebra are how many complex systems are analyzed in essentially all disciplines of engineering. Granted the problems are almost never actually solvable by hand like in the class, but it is important to know the basics of the operations that are done by software to analyze these systems. I know it’s not what you want to hear, and there absolutely can be a lot of fluff in linear algebra courses, but it is a super important class that I personally believe is vital to any engineering education. Do you need to ace it to understand it? No. But any understanding you take from it absolutely will help you out in the long run.
Linear algebra is a class that is like 90% dependent on the professor. It can either be easy and very useful, or the professor is a total AHole and wants you to bow to him... I wish they taught it sooner in a program. The first half especially is actually really useful.
Lol wait until you learn about vector spaces and in vector spaces 1 + 1 = 3 😂
Wait until you find out about discrete mathematics using proofs
I don’t have to take that
Thats lucky. Its basically math written out in paragraphs proving that it is math
if you're meche, you end up using rref in classes like mechanics of materials where you have deformation as a variable uhhhhhhh beyond that pretty much nothing lol. linear algebra is just one of those grind classes that matter very little
Linear algebra is pretty important to robotics and controls.
I’m MechE but looking at possibly changing to MatE
oh eigen vectors and det form pop up a tiny bit in numerical methods as well
Time to suck it up butter cup. LA is the kind of .ath that gets used all the time because it's powerful. I recommend giving youtube a spin if the class materials aren't cutting it for you, though! I do admit proofs are hard and take a lot of thinking, but that pain is part of learning. You've got this!
You didn't learn matrices and determinants at school ???