Prof. Gilbert Strang lecturing on matrices at MIT (May, 2023). This was also the final lecture of the esteemed Professor. Source: MIT OCW

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Why Gilbert Strang’s Linear Algebra is Still The Best Book On the Subject

And why you should learn linear algebra in this day and age

Sunny Labh
Physics In History
Published in
4 min readFeb 20, 2025

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A few days ago, I posted on X about why linear algebra is the most important math you need to learn.

And I genuinely feel that Linear algebra is one of the pillars of modern computation.

On a side note, have you ever cracked open a math textbook and felt your eyes glaze over before the end of page one? That’s the feeling Gilbert Strang seems to anticipate — and side-steps — in his Introduction to Linear Algebra.

I first came across this book during my undergrad days (I left the book in Nepal though), and it turned out as one of my most favourite textbooks of all time. It’s not that Strang skims over the deep stuff; he’ll absolutely lead you into the rich core of vector spaces and matrices.

But then somehow, he does it in a way that feels like you’re having a friendly chat, not slogging through a desert of dry theorems. There’re a few more reasons why I think…

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Physics In History
Physics In History

Published in Physics In History

Welcome to “Physics In History,” a publication dedicated to exploring the rich tapestry of physics and its captivating journey through time. Delve into the annals of scientific discovery as we unravel the extraordinary stories, breakthroughs, and personalities.

Sunny Labh
Sunny Labh

Written by Sunny Labh

Science writer and communicator majoring in Quantum Mechanics. Curator of @PhysInHistory on twitter. Twitter: @thePiggsBoson

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