Re: What is a determinant?

On Tue, 24 May 2005 16:27:02 -0700, The World Wide Wade
<waderameyxiii@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>In article <4293a34a$0$3147$8fcfb975@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> denis feldmann <denis.feldmann@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> > Hello, my math teacher and I were having a conversation about matrices
>> > and we are wondering, just what is a determinant?
>>
>> This is quite disturbing, coming from a math tacher...
>
>Not at all. It's a very good question. Determinants are usually
>pulled out of a hat, with zero motivation. And the lion's share
>of linear algebra, including most computational areas, is better
>done without them.

Was it Axler or Axler and someone or someone else who wrote that
linear algebra text dedicated to the proposition that determinants
are evil?

************************

David C. Ullrich
.