In beginning any new class, most students wonder, "What will it take for me to succeed?" The answer to this question for linear algebra may be very different from what it was for your earlier math classes. Often, in elementary math classes, the instructor tells you what is true and (perhaps) why it is true. You then study how to apply what the instructor tells you in various contexts.

In learning linear algebra (at least from this text) knowing why is just as important as knowing how. You will discover, for example that the majority of the exercises cannot be solved simply by imitating the examples in the text. Instead, you must understand what the problem is asking and think about how it relates to what was said in the text.

Thus, to be successful in using this text you must read "for meaning." You should pay particular attention to the definitions. (Each new term is indicated in boldface. Many of the definitions may also be found in the Glossary.) If the instructor shows you how to solve a particular exercise, you should not be satisfied until you understand the explanation to the point of saying, "I should have thought of that myself!"

The students who have used this text have generally appreciated the emphasis on "why". They like the feeling of mastery of the subject that understanding gives. We hope that you will share their enjoyment.

R.P.

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