The Game of Gaussian Elimination: An Introduction to Linear Algebra | Mathematics - Medium

Taking the jump from algebra to the land of matrices by Brett Berry in Math Hacks.

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Confession: I love linear algebra. Okay, maybe that’s not much of a confession, but I do love it! In a large part, because linear algebra doesn’t feel like the rest of mathematics, it feels like a puzzle.

Now that may sound crazy, but hear me out.

This new land of matrices and vectors may look and feel intimidating, and for good reason: new notation, new rules, new properties. It’s all a bit different. But maybe viewing it as a puzzle will help you jump over that new notation hurdle.

Ready to give it a try?

Where to start?

I believe the best place to start with linear algebra is with solving systems of equations because it’s something you’ve probably learned already. Remember the substitution and elimination methods?? Do those ring a bell? If not, you can refresh your memory here. 🙂

Today we are going to take a new approach to solve systems of equations using a method called Gaussian Elimination.

What is Gaussian Elimination??

Gaussian elimination is a method where we translate our equations into a matrix and use the matrix to solve the system (i.e. find the solutions for each variable that make all the equations true).

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Source: Medium