4 ms·

The title always struck me as arrogant, especially since hearing a lot of criticism of its exposition

deleted 2y ago
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quibono 2y ago
There is a book ripping on the title listed in the thread. I don't think I see it as arrogant although it's definitely an opinionated title.
nuclearnice3 2y ago
What was the substance of the criticism? There is a meeting or mismeeting between book and reader in math. Sometimes you are on the wrong footing to absorb a book. You bounce. Maybe you come back later and absorb the book. As far as the title, just catching marketing I think. Might not appeal to all for sure.
jampekka 2y ago
For what it's worth: "The title of this book deserves an explanation. Most linear algebra textbooks use determinants to prove that every linear operator on a finite-dimensional complex vector space has an eigenvalue. Determinants are difficult, nonintuitive, and often defined without motivation. To prove the theorem about existence of eigenvalues on complex vector spaces, most books must define determinants, prove that a linear operator is not invertible if and only if its determinant equals 0, and then define the characteristic polynomial. This tortuous (torturous?) path gives students little feeling for why eigenvalues exist. In contrast, the simple determinant-free proofs presented here (for example, see 5.19) offer more insight. Once determinants have been moved to the end of the book, a new route opens to the main goal of linear algebra—understanding the structure of linear operators."
- Isamu 2y ago
  I had to look it up: “Be careful not to confuse tortuous with torturous. These two words are relatives—both ultimately come from the Latin verb torquere, which means "to twist," "to wind," or "to wrench"—but tortuous means "winding" or "crooked," whereas torturous means "painfully unpleasant."
  - viherjuuri 2y ago
    Cool! That is probably the joke that is being made in the book. And it is funny.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

There is a book ripping on the title listed in the thread. I don't think I see it as arrogant although it's definitely an opinionated title.

nuclearnice3 2y ago

What was the substance of the criticism? There is a meeting or mismeeting between book and reader in math. Sometimes you are on the wrong footing to absorb a book. You bounce. Maybe you come back later and absorb the book. As far as the title, just catching marketing I think. Might not appeal to all for sure.

jampekka 2y ago

For what it's worth: "The title of this book deserves an explanation. Most linear algebra textbooks use determinants to prove that every linear operator on a finite-dimensional complex vector space has an eigenvalue. Determinants are difficult, nonintuitive, and often defined without motivation. To prove the theorem about existence of eigenvalues on complex vector spaces, most books must define determinants, prove that a linear operator is not invertible if and only if its determinant equals 0, and then define the characteristic polynomial. This tortuous (torturous?) path gives students little feeling for why eigenvalues exist. In contrast, the simple determinant-free proofs presented here (for example, see 5.19) offer more insight. Once determinants have been moved to the end of the book, a new route opens to the main goal of linear algebra—understanding the structure of linear operators."

Isamu 2y ago
I had to look it up: “Be careful not to confuse tortuous with torturous. These two words are relatives—both ultimately come from the Latin verb torquere, which means "to twist," "to wind," or "to wrench"—but tortuous means "winding" or "crooked," whereas torturous means "painfully unpleasant."
- viherjuuri 2y ago
  Cool! That is probably the joke that is being made in the book. And it is funny.