This course is all about matrices, and concisely covers the linear algebra that an engineer should know. The mathematics in this course is presented at the level of an advanced high school student, but typically students should take this course after completing a university-level single variable calculus course. There are no derivatives or integrals in this course, but students are expected to have attained a sufficient level of mathematical maturity. Nevertheless, anyone who wants to learn the basics of matrix algebra is welcome to join.
This course is part of the Mathematics for Engineers Specialization
Offered By
About this Course
What you will learn
Matrices
Systems of Linear Equations
Vector Spaces
Eigenvalues and eigenvectors
Offered by

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
HKUST - A dynamic, international research university, in relentless pursuit of excellence, leading the advance of science and technology, and educating the new generation of front-runners for Asia and the world.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
MATRICES
Matrices are rectangular arrays of numbers or other mathematical objects. We define matrices and how to add and multiply them, discuss some special matrices such as the identity and zero matrix, learn about transposes and inverses, and define orthogonal and permutation matrices.
SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS
A system of linear equations can be written in matrix form, and can be solved using Gaussian elimination. We learn how to bring a matrix to reduced row echelon form, and how this can be used to compute a matrix inverse. We learn how to find the LU decomposition of a matrix, and how to use this decomposition to efficiently solve a system of linear equations with evolving right-hand sides.
VECTOR SPACES
A vector space consists of a set of vectors and a set of scalars that is closed under vector addition and scalar multiplication and that satisfies the usual rules of arithmetic. We learn some of the vocabulary and phrases of linear algebra, such as linear independence, span, basis and dimension. We learn about the four fundamental subspaces of a matrix, the Gram-Schmidt process, orthogonal projection, and the matrix formulation of the least-squares problem of drawing a straight line to fit noisy data.
EIGENVALUES AND EIGENVECTORS
An eigenvector of a matrix is a nonzero column vector that when multiplied by the matrix is only multiplied by a scalar, called the eigenvalue. We learn about the eigenvalue problem and how to use determinants to find the eigenvalues of a matrix. We learn how to compute determinants using the Laplace expansion, the Leibniz formula, or by row or column elimination. We also learn how to diagonalize a matrix using its eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and how this leads to an easy calculation of a matrix raised to a power.
Reviews
- 5 stars88.28%
- 4 stars10.38%
- 3 stars0.98%
- 2 stars0.16%
- 1 star0.19%
TOP REVIEWS FROM MATRIX ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS
Excellent course. The lectures and accompanying textbook and examples really helped to reinforce the material. Dr. Chasnov is a great teacher, and I plan to take more courses from him
Chasnov is outstanding! You will love the course but above all you will adore the way Chasnov marches on through the course and you are acquiring knowledge... He is a real instructor!
Great videos. The examples were very helpful. I did not come from a huge math background and I was still able to understand the course and do all the problems. Thank you very much.
It teaches quite a lot about the fundamentals of linear algebra. I do wish that there were more examples but maybe it also depends on the learner if they want to learn more problems.
About the Mathematics for Engineers Specialization
This specialization was developed for engineering students to self-study engineering mathematics. We expect students are already familiar with single variable calculus and computer programming. Students will learn matrix algebra, differential equations, vector calculus and numerical methods. MATLAB programming will be taught. Watch the promotional video!

Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.