Linear Methods: A General Education Course is expressly written for non-mathematical students, particularly freshmen taking a required core mathematics course. Rather than covering a hodgepodge of different topics as is typical for a core mathematics course, this text encourages students to explore one particular branch of mathematics, elementary linear algebra, in some depth. The material is presented in an accessible manner, as opposed to a traditional overly rigorous approach. While introducing students to useful topics in linear algebra, the book also includes a gentle introduction to more abstract facets of the subject. Many relevant uses of linear algebra in today's world are illustrated, including applications involving business, economics, elementary graph theory, Markov chains, linear regression and least-squares polynomials, geometric transformations, and elementary physics. The authors have included proofs of various important elementary theorems and properties which provide readers with the reasoning behind these results. Features: Written for a general education core course in introductory mathematics Introduces elementary linear algebra concepts to non-mathematics majors Provides an informal introduction to elementary proofs involving matrices and vectors Includes useful applications from linear algebra related to business, graph theory, regression, and elementary physics Authors Bio: David Hecker is a Professor of Mathematics at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University and has published several journal articles. He also co-authored several editions of Elementary Linear Algebra with Stephen Andrilli. Stephen Andrilli is a Professor in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department at La Salle University in Philadelphia. He received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University and also co-authored several editions of Elementary Linear Algebra with David Hecker.

Elementary Linear Algebra, Sixth Edition provides a solid introduction to both the computational and theoretical aspects of linear algebra, covering many important real-world applications, including graph theory, circuit theory, Markov chains, elementary coding theory, least-squares polynomials and least-squares solutions for inconsistent systems, differential equations, computer graphics and quadratic forms. In addition, many computational techniques in linear algebra are presented, including iterative methods for solving linear systems, LDU Decomposition, the Power Method for finding eigenvalues, QR Decomposition, and Singular Value Decomposition and its usefulness in digital imaging.

Linear Methods: A General Education Course is expressly written for non-mathematical students, particularly freshmen taking a required core mathematics course. Rather than covering a hodgepodge of different topics as is typical for a core mathematics course, this text encourages students to explore one particular branch of mathematics, elementary linear algebra, in some depth. The material is presented in an accessible manner, as opposed to a traditional overly rigorous approach. While introducing students to useful topics in linear algebra, the book also includes a gentle introduction to more abstract facets of the subject. Many relevant uses of linear algebra in today's world are illustrated, including applications involving business, economics, elementary graph theory, Markov chains, linear regression and least-squares polynomials, geometric transformations, and elementary physics. The authors have included proofs of various important elementary theorems and properties which provide readers with the reasoning behind these results. Features: Written for a general education core course in introductory mathematics Introduces elementary linear algebra concepts to non-mathematics majors Provides an informal introduction to elementary proofs involving matrices and vectors Includes useful applications from linear algebra related to business, graph theory, regression, and elementary physics Authors Bio: David Hecker is a Professor of Mathematics at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University and has published several journal articles. He also co-authored several editions of Elementary Linear Algebra with Stephen Andrilli. Stephen Andrilli is a Professor in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department at La Salle University in Philadelphia. He received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University and also co-authored several editions of Elementary Linear Algebra with David Hecker.

"Cold logic held his attention. Recording specifics gave him a sense of belonging that nothing else did. As he wrote, he grew less and less emotional."

A change of heart prompts one man to reevaluate the life he thought he knew in David Hecker's contemplative debut, "Strangers Before the Bench."

George Schwartz prides himself on his job as an Immigration Naturalization Service Hearing judge. Working in Seattle, he has gained a reputation as a "fences up" judge, meaning that immigrants who appear before him on even the slightest infraction can count on being deported. Schwartz has no doubt that he is doing things the American way.

But all that changes when Schwartz discovers that his ancestors from Central Europe had suffered greatly at the hands of officials who acted much like Schwartz himself.

This discovery, along with his budding romance with a candid reporter, forces Schwartz to rethink his stance. Hecker's thoughtful prose perfectly captures Schwartz's stunning transformation into a judge who advocates for immigrants' rights. But as pressure mounts from other INS judges and prosecutors, will Schwartz find the strength to fight back?