Calculus Two: Linear and Nonlinear Functions (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics)

Calculus and linear algebra are two dominant themes in contemporary mathematics and its applications. The aim of this book is to introduce linear algebra in an intuitive geometric setting as the study of linear maps and to use these simpler linear functions to study more complicated nonlinear functions. In this way, many of the ideas, techniques, and formulas in the calculus of several variables are clarified and understood in a more conceptual way. After using this text a student should be well prepared for subsequent advanced courses in both algebra and linear differential equations as well as the many applications where linearity and its interplay with nonlinearity are significant. This second edition has been revised to clarify the concepts. Many exercises and illustrations have been included to make the text more usable for students.