Book excerpt: David Poole's innovative LINEAR ALGEBRA: A MODERN INTRODUCTION, 4e emphasizes a vectors approach and better prepares students to make the transition from computational to theoretical mathematics. Balancing theory and applications, the book is written in a conversational style and combines a traditional presentation with a focus on student-centered learning. Theoretical, computational, and applied topics are presented in a flexible yet integrated way. Stressing geometric understanding before computational techniques, vectors and vector geometry are introduced early to help students visualize concepts and develop mathematical maturity for abstract thinking. Additionally, the book includes ample applications drawn from a variety of disciplines, which reinforce the fact that linear algebra is a valuable tool for modeling real-life problems. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.