Numerical Linear Algebra

"A beautifully written textbook offering a distinctive and original treatment. It will be of use to all who teach or study the subject." --Nicholas J. Higham, Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of Manchester. "This is a beautifully written book which carefully brings to the reader the important issues connected with the computational issues in matrix computations. The authors show a broad knowledge of this vital area and make wonderful connections to a variety of problems of current interest. The book is like a delicate souffléŽ --- tasteful and very light." --Gene Golub, Stanford University. "I have used Numerical Linear Algebra in my introductory graduate course and I have found it to be almost the perfect text to introduce mathematics graduate students to the subject. I like the choice of topics and the format: a sequence of lectures. Each chapter (or lecture) carefully builds upon the material presented in previous chapters, providing new concepts in a very clear manner. Exercises at the end of each chapter reinforce the concepts, and in some cases introduce new ones. The emphasis is on the mathematics behind the algorithms, in the understanding of why the algorithms work. The text is sprinkled with examples and explanations, which keep the student focused." --Daniel B. Szyld, Department of Mathematics, Temple University. "This is an ideal book for a graduate course in numerical linear algebra (either in mathematics or in computer science departments); it presents the topics in such a way that background material comes along with the course. I will use it again next time I teach this course!" --Suely Oliveira, Texas A&M University. Numerical Linear Algebra is a concise, insightful, and elegant introduction to the field of numerical linear algebra. Designed for use as a stand-alone textbook in a one-semester, graduate-level course in the topic, it has already been class-tested by MIT and Cornell graduate students from all fields of mathematics, engineering, and the physical sciences. The authors' clear, inviting style and evident love of the field, along with their eloquent presentation of the most fundamental ideas in numerical linear algebra, make it popular with teachers and students alike. Numerical Linear Algebra aims to expand the reader's view of the field and to present the core, standard material in a novel way. It is a perfect companion volume to the encyclopedic treatment of the topic that already exists in Golub and Van Loan's now-classic Matrix Computations. All of the most important topics in the field, including iterative methods for systems of equations and eigenvalue problems and the underlying principles of conditioning and stability, are covered. Trefethen and Bau offer a fresh perspective on these and other topics, such as an emphasis on connections with polynomial approximation in the complex plane. Numerical Linear Algebra is presented in the form of 40 lectures, each of which focuses on one or two central ideas. Throughout, the authors emphasize the unity between topics, never allowing the reader to get lost in details and technicalities. The book breaks with tradition by beginning not with Gaussian elimination, but with the QR factorization--a more important and fresher idea for students, and the thread that connects most of the algorithms of numerical linear algebra, including methods for least squares, eigenvalue, and singular value problems, as well as iterative methods for all of these and for systems of equations. Students will benefit from the many exercises that follow each lecture. Well-chosen references and extensive notes enrich the presentation and provide historical context. Audience Written on the graduate or advanced undergraduate level, this book can be used widely for teaching. Professors looking for an elegant presentation of the topic will find it an excellent teaching tool for a one-semester graduate or advanced undergraduate course. A major contribution to the applied mathematics literature, most researchers in the field will consider it a necessary addition to their personal collections.