[Numpy-discussion] matrix default to column vector?

[Stéfan van der Walt]

2009/6/8 Robert Kern <robert.kern at gmail.com>:
>> Remember, the example is a **teaching** example.
>
> I know. Honestly, I would prefer that teachers skip over the normal
> equations entirely and move directly to decomposition approaches. If
> you are going to make them implement least-squares from more basic
> tools, I think it's more enlightening as a student to start with the
> SVD than the normal equations.

I agree, and I wish our cirriculum followed that route.  In linear
algebra, I also don't much like the way eigenvalues are taught, where
students have to solve characteristic polynomials by hand.  When I
teach the subject again, I'll pay more attention to these books:

Numerical linear algebra by Lloyd Trefethen
http://books.google.co.za/books?id=bj-Lu6zjWbEC

(e.g. has SVD in Lecture 4)

Applied Numerical Linear Algebra by James Demmel
http://books.google.co.za/books?id=lr8cFi-YWnIC

(e.g. has perturbation theory on page 4)

Regards
Stéfan