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The approaches of Strang and Klein are complementary. * Klein uses complex numbers to introduce many concepts of vectors, and uses simple graphics programming
by rectang 10y ago
The approaches of Strang and Klein are complementary.
* Klein uses complex numbers to introduce many concepts of vectors, and uses simple graphics programming with Python to motivate the student. The exercises in that chapter of the Klein are brilliant.
* Klein introduces three different "fields" right away: the reals, the complex numbers, and the bool-valued "GF(2)" (a two-valued Galois Field). Strang sticks with the reals.
* The more traditional approach of Strang to Gauss-Jordan elimination is much smoother than Klein's. For this topic, the Klein suffers for lack of straight-up problem drills.
- DarkTree 10y agoThanks for the comparison. Though they are complementary, would you recommend reading one before the other?
- rectang 10y agoI would suggest starting with the Klein and getting through the section on complex numbers, "Playing with C", which is at the end of chapter 1. (Note, Klein has a lengthy chapter 0 which is a review of prerequisites such as functions.) After that, I suggest moving through them roughly in parallel. You may find that you prefer one or the other; I wouldn't feel bad about running with either one. (In my view, the Klein is more uneven: it has more weak sections, but is occasionally very compelling.)