After
having finished your book today, I agree completely with the
very favorable reviews that I saw on the internet. It was
an enlightening experience to brush up my old university math
with this book. The 'sketchy' way of explaining things sure
worked for me.
Dr. Anneke
Sicherer-Roetman, Maritime Research Institute Netherlands
August 2008
|
First
of all, many thanks to you and Professor Hansford for creating
"Practical Linear Algebra, A Geometry Toolbox," it's done
a world of wonder for me, as I need to review my linear algebra
to prepare for studying computer graphics. I really can't
thank you enough.
Daniel
Kurtz
College of Computer and Information Science, Northeastern
University, Boston, MA, USA
April 2007
|
Your
book "Pratical Linear Algebra, a geometry toolbook " is great.
I write software for image analysis of medical images where
in several occasions I have to deal with eigen things and
similar . I have been using your book as a valuable reference
to refresh and understand these concepts that I studied when
I was a student.
Diego
Bordegari
April 2006
|
I picked
up this book with the thought, ’oh, another linear algebra
text.’ I was pleasantly surprised, upon examination, that
it is not just another one. The standard linear algebra material
is presented with good motivating stories, illustrations and
examples.
Review
in its entirety.
Canadian
Mathematical Society (CMS) Notes
February 2006
|
[The]
mixture of linear algebra, geometry, and numerical aspects
is very interesting and will probably stimulate the students.
Review
in its entirety.
Bulletin
of the Belgian Mathematical Society
December 2005
|
It
is well written and the examples are carefully chosen to motivate
or exemplify the topic at hand.
Review
in its entirety
Choice
Magazine
September 2005
|
I just
purchased your book, "Practical linear algebra", a few days
ago. I found it in Barns and Nobles last week, and I immediately
fell in love with it. I love the nice illustrations and diagrams
which are very helpful in promoting intuitive understanding
of every concept. I am a clinician investigator at the National
Institutes of Health who is conducting MRI research of the
heart. My main interest is finite deformation of the heart
muscle structures, however, since I do not have engineering
background, I have been looking for a nice textbook on linear
algebra.
Hiroshi
Ashikaga, MD
National Institute of Health
February 2005
|
I am
taking a Linear Algebra class -- geez, what a frustrating
experience. A paedagogical disaster. We are all non-math students
-- but no applications, no substantive interpretations of
any concept. And then, panicking for finals, I went to the
Math library, found your book, and was delighted. I was awake
last night til 4am, reading it just for pleasure. keep up
the good work!
Juan Pablo
Zuluaga
Pitt University
April 2005
|
Teaching
computer graphics and mathematics in the study program Digital
Media at Bremen, Germany, I have found "Practical Linear Algebra"
to be precisely the kind of book I've long been looking for.
It covers all topics that are vital for computer graphics,
even gives lots of applications in that field including for
instance PostScript, and does so in a very practical but nonetheless
rigorous manner. I find many elements of my own teaching in
this book, including the hand-made style of drawings (rendering
them more "hands-on"), using a geometric shape to illustrate
the action of a 2x2 matrix, and deriving the determinant from
the computation of areas and volumes instead of plainly presenting
a formula. I have recommended this book strongly to all students
in my first-year courses and will continue to do so.
Prof.
Dr. Jörn Loviscach
University of Applied Sciences
Fachbereich Elektrotechnik und Informatik
Hochschule Bremen, Germany
May 2005
|
I looked
at the Practical Linear Algegra book and I was impressed with
the applications, especially those related to computer graphics.
The topics are organized in a slightly non-traditional way,
so the book does not coordinate with our current course outline
as easily as some other books do. However, I think some faculty
will be interested in using the book because the geometric
descriptions and applications are very nice.
Prof.
Linda Patton
Mathematics Deparment
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
December 2005
|
Is
linear algebra a tool that is capable of solving a myriad
of problems or an example of mathematical structures and reasoning?
The answer, of course, is both. In this book, Farin and Hansford
certainly take the first viewpoint. Common theorem-proof presentation
has been replaced by motivation, example, or graphics. Their
goal is aimed at the freshman/sophomore level and is quite
appropriate for students in engineering and computer graphics
as well as in mathematics. It is well written and the examples
are carefully chosen to motivate or exemplify the topic at
hand. As a consequence, it is significantly different from
a traditional work in the area. For example, "eigen things"
(their term) are introduced in the plane and used to diagonalize
a symmetric matrices, but the general problem of diagonalizing
a matrix is omitted. There is no mention of similar matrices.
It appears to be a very good book, if the goal is introduction
to applicaiton, but perhaps not for introduction to mathematical
proofs. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates;
two-year technical program students.
J.R. Burke
Gonzaga University
Published in CHOICE Current Reviews for Academic Libraries
September 2005, Vol. 43 No. 01
Science & Technology, Mathematics
www.choicemag.org
|
We have
been quite appreciative of the reviews and feedback from readers
of the first edition of this text, The Geometry Toolbox.
Reviews are included below. |
Written
in a deceptively easy-to-read style, ... this textbook provides
a solid foundation in the mathematics needed for graphics
and modeling. ....
The clarity of the style and the geometric nature of each
explanation by themselves makes this text an important reference.
...
--P.
Samella
in Computing Reviews September 1998, pp 464-5
|
I
am writing an intro computer science text and am reading all
the other basic texts. Your new geometry toolbox book is TERRIFIC.
--Peter
Shirley
School of Computing
University of Utah
email correspondence
|
This
book has a number of important advantages. First, the book
provides intuition into the vector meaning of transformations
and manipulations. Furthermore, ...
--A.
Fischer
Dept. of Mechanical Eng.
CMSR Lab. for Computer Graphics and CAD
Technion- Israel Inst. of Technology
in Computer
Aided Design
vol 32, issue 4, 2000
|
Your
book, The Geometry Toolbox, is without a doubt one of the
best written pedagogical works I've ever read and certainly
the best in geometry.
--Lewis Stiller
email correspondence
|
...I
am working on a Masters of Computer Science at Syracuse University.
I also work at Lockheed Martin on a trainer/simulator for
a sonar system ....
I found your book at the SU math library. Is excellent. Part
of my job involves contact geometry and I have found your
book to be helpful. I like the fact that it is done in postscript.
Some of the best looking books ever are done in postscript.
....
On my own time, I am a 2D/3D hobbiest. I have various books
on OpenGL and Java graphics programming and VRML. Your book
will come in handy for this also.
--David
Danner
email corresponance
|
American
Mathematical Monthly, Feb. 1999. |
Mathematical
Reviews, Issue 99d. |
Johannes
Wallner. Zentralblatt fuer Mathematik, issue 899, 1999. |