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I got a B in my linear algebra course which was basically only numerical. I’d have gotten an A but the professor thought mountains of homework was teaching and I refused to do it all. Suffice it to say I aced every test and all the homework I actually did. None of it helped in understanding and like the grandparent I remembered none of it at the end and turned to LADR.

I don’t think any of that numerical approach helped when I read LADR. LADR isn’t about “doing the work” it’s about “doing the work to understand”. Similar to your experience I remember reading the first chapter and then among the first chapter questions I saw questions that looked like they had no basis whatsoever in what I thought I had just learned. Then, eventually, it clicked. That’s, frankly, the only way it works with Axler, so if you want it, you’ve got to do it.

My advice is to not waste time with the numerical approach and just do it.

I had a professor who used to say “being a student is suffering” but he used it to justify a bunch of bullshit. In this case, though, I’d agree with him. LADR is suffering d followed by satisfaction (and rinse and repeat).



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