Linear Algebra is so cool

The calculus track is overemphasized at the expense of other math because it is predominantly useful in many kinds of engineering. However, not everyone is going to become an engineer.

Linear is more fundamental and (I would argue) more interesting to think about. It also has a lot of applications. Therefore, it should be taught earlier and to more people.

Discuss.

I loved linear algebra but I don't think everyone is mentally equipped to handle it. Calculus is easy to visualize as you can just throw it onto a graph and see what's going on. When people struggle with calculus, people struggle with the algebra involved and not necessarily the calculus. It's definitely something everyone can learn if they put in the effort. Linear algebra is falling more towards the highly abstract mathematics such as functional analysis, differential geometry and Galois theory. Math at those point are non-intuitive. I would be mad if I was not in a math-related major and linear algebra is one of my requirements.

Definitely an overly rigorous subject.
I also agree that Linear Algebra should be more accessible, if not just for early exposure. My CS transfer degree requires Calculus 4 but neither Differential Equations nor Linear Algebra, which is kind of disappointing considering how CS is one of the most applicable fields for it. Maybe I'll get to take it in Junior year or later, hopefully.

The calculus track is overemphasized at the expense of other math because it is predominantly useful in many kinds of engineering. However, not everyone is going to become an engineer.

Linear is more fundamental and (I would argue) more interesting to think about. It also has a lot of applications. Therefore, it should be taught earlier and to more people.

Discuss.

I don't believe there are words that can express how much I agree with you.

Seriously, have an adjacency matrix and wanna figure out the n-path whatever? Throw it into a matrix, get the Eigendecomposition and you can find up to the nth path easy.

I'm sorry, what?
Linear algebra has been kicking my ass. Maybe that's just my crappy professor, but still... I haven't ended up liking it. :/

I took Linear Algebra at like... 3rd semester of chemical engineering.

I found it was incredibly useful and had the tools to do quite cool stuff with all that diagonalization and matrix functions. It seemed much more powerful than just escalar or vectorial functions.
Then in all the following courses I took there was almost no use for it, I've forgotten most of what I've learned for lack of practice.

I loved that thing about rotating the reference axis to get a simpler expression of a function in a new system. Cool stuff.

I heard it is hard as hell and I shouldn't take it when I get into college.

Funny thing is, it really should be more accessible since in the higher levels of Calculus, professors assume knowledge of determinate, and I had never seen a matrix before that point in my curriculum. Reminded me of 2 dimensional arrays from programming though. It really held me back in trying to understand the materials of that course. Although, if I remember right, it might have been possible that we just ran out of time in high school math (algebra or calculus), and never covered it. Still pisses me off when you supposedly take the highest level of something in high school that transfers over to where you are placed in college, and even when the facilities are not 15 miles from each other, they can't coordinate the material expected to be known by the students. It gives off a real rude atmosphere when you lack assumed knowledge after fulfilling all the requirements to be in the course. I actually dropped a history course because the professor was being a real prick about it.

The calculus track is overemphasized at the expense of other math because it is predominantly useful in many kinds of engineering. However, not everyone is going to become an engineer.

Linear is more fundamental and (I would argue) more interesting to think about. It also has a lot of applications. Therefore, it should be taught earlier and to more people.

Discuss.

In which fields is linear algebra predominantly used in?
Just curious.

Linear algebra is a program requirement for my economics and accounting major so I'd assume it's fundamental to financial mathematics.

In which fields is linear algebra predominantly used in?
Just curious.

In Programming, Linar Algebra is very heavily used. Linear Algebra makes data analysis much more manageable.
As a matter of fact, as a Computer Engineer with a focus on AI, I see myself using Linar Algebra much more than I'll ever use Calculus.

I heard it is hard as hell and I shouldn't take it when I get into college.

Linear Algebra is RIDICULOUS EASY. Or at least for me it was, much simpler and easier to understand than Differential Equations. Calculus is incredibly boring, Linear Algebra is fun

The calculus track is overemphasized at the expense of other math because it is predominantly useful in many kinds of engineering. However, not everyone is going to become an engineer.

Linear is more fundamental and (I would argue) more interesting to think about. It also has a lot of applications. Therefore, it should be taught earlier and to more people.

Discuss.

I agree that Calculus is way overemphasized. I used to love Math, until I got to Calculus courses and was like, oh so this is the higher level Math? This boring, boring math.
After doing Calculus I, II, III and Differential Equations, I thought that Math was only that. I am so glad that Linear Algebra showed me again what I used to like about Math. I love puzzles, and Linear Algebra is like one big Math Puzzle lol. I wish Abstract Math was part of my curriculum so I can submerge myself more into it.
As a Computer Engineering that is not focused in the Hardware, I find Linear Algebra a lot more useful than Calculus.

I loved linear algebra but I don't think everyone is mentally equipped to handle it. Calculus is easy to visualize as you can just throw it onto a graph and see what's going on. When people struggle with calculus, people struggle with the algebra involved and not necessarily the calculus. It's definitely something everyone can learn if they put in the effort. Linear algebra is falling more towards the highly abstract mathematics such as functional analysis, differential geometry and Galois theory. Math at those point are non-intuitive. I would be mad if I was not in a math-related major and linear algebra is one of my requirements.

Calculus is harder than Linear Algebra. Calculus is also very boring in my opinion, and it's real life applications are very limited compared to Linear Algebra.
Maybe if people learn some fundamentals of Linear Algebra they wouldn't have struggled with the algebra in Calculus. Nobody is saying to teach the advanced Abstract Math before Calculus, but emphasize the fundamentals of Linear Algebra as much as the fundamentals of Calculus.
As a CE major I am really mad that I have to learn Differential Equations when I'll most likely never have to use it in my Major. Linear Algebra in the other hand, there are many different uses.

In which fields is linear algebra predominantly used in?
Just curious.

In Programming, Linar Algebra is very heavily used. Linear Algebra makes data analysis much more manageable.
As a matter of fact, as a Computer Engineer with a focus on AI, I see myself using Linar Algebra much more than I'll ever use Calculus.

I heard it is hard as hell and I shouldn't take it when I get into college.

Linear Algebra is RIDICULOUS EASY. Or at least for me it was, much simpler and easier to understand than Differential Equations. Calculus is incredibly boring, Linear Algebra is fun

The calculus track is overemphasized at the expense of other math because it is predominantly useful in many kinds of engineering. However, not everyone is going to become an engineer.

Linear is more fundamental and (I would argue) more interesting to think about. It also has a lot of applications. Therefore, it should be taught earlier and to more people.

Discuss.

I agree that Calculus is way overemphasized. I used to love Math, until I got to Calculus courses and was like, oh so this is the higher level Math? This boring, boring math.
After doing Calculus I, II, III and Differential Equations, I thought that Math was only that. I am so glad that Linear Algebra showed me again what I used to like about Math. I love puzzles, and Linear Algebra is like one big Math Puzzle lol. I wish Abstract Math was part of my curriculum so I can submerge myself more into it.
As a Computer Engineering that is not focused in the Hardware, I find Linear Algebra a lot more useful than Calculus.

I loved linear algebra but I don't think everyone is mentally equipped to handle it. Calculus is easy to visualize as you can just throw it onto a graph and see what's going on. When people struggle with calculus, people struggle with the algebra involved and not necessarily the calculus. It's definitely something everyone can learn if they put in the effort. Linear algebra is falling more towards the highly abstract mathematics such as functional analysis, differential geometry and Galois theory. Math at those point are non-intuitive. I would be mad if I was not in a math-related major and linear algebra is one of my requirements.

Calculus is harder than Linear Algebra. Calculus is also very boring in my opinion, and it's real life applications are very limited compared to Linear Algebra.
Maybe if people learn some fundamentals of Linear Algebra they wouldn't have struggled with the algebra in Calculus. Nobody is saying to teach the advanced Abstract Math before Calculus, but emphasize the fundamentals of Linear Algebra as much as the fundamentals of Calculus.
As a CE major I am really mad that I have to learn Differential Equations when I'll most likely never have to use it in my Major. Linear Algebra in the other hand, there are many different uses.

I've seen calculus used the most in fluid mechanics homework. The rest of it is more than likely to be found in derivations of concepts or burried beneath the depths of tons of reference tables (which actually saves you a lot of time while making you dumber). I'd say I'm pretty rusty at calculus if you were to ask me to try stuff, although I might be able to BS my way back into confidence, though calculating second moments of intertia would be the closest thing to actual calculus use in the field. Unsurprisingly though, a good majority of soil mechanics and traffic engineering is derived empirically, as well as some other fluids equations/charts.

That's as far as I know though, being a senior in CE (Civil Engineering).