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http://dx.doi.org/10.7468/jksmee.2012.26.4.351

Early History of Linear Algebra  

Lee, Sang-Gu (Department of Mathematics, Sungkyunkwan University)
Lee, Jae Hwa (BK21 Math. Modeling HRD Division, Sungkyunkwan University)
Ham, Yoon Mee (Department of Mathematics, Kyonggi University)
Publication Information
Communications of Mathematical Education / v.26, no.4, 2012 , pp. 351-362 More about this Journal
Abstract
Until the 1950s, linear algebra was considered only as one of abstract and advanced mathematics subject among in graduate mathematics courses, mainly dealing with module in algebra. Since the 1960s, it has been a main subject in undergraduate mathematics education because matrices has been used all over. In Korea, it was considered as a course only for mathematics major students until 1980s. However, now it is a subject for all undergraduate students including natural science, engineering, social science since 1990s. In this paper, we investigate the early history of linear algebra and its development from a historical perspective and mathematicians who made contributions. Secondly, we explain why linear algebra became so popular in college mathematics education in the late 20th century. Contributions of Chinese and H. Grassmann will be extensively examined with many newly discovered facts.
Keywords
Babylonia; JiuZhangSuanShu: The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art; Seki Kowa; Leibniz; M$\ddot{o}$bius; Grassmann; Hankel; Klein; Cauchy; Determinant; Sylvester; Matrices; Linear Algebra; Cayley; Matrix algebra; Bourbaki; Gantmacher; LP; RSA-code; Google matrix; textbook; education;
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