Matrices and Groups for the Sciences

This course is specifically designed to provide students in the space science program, the chemistry and the environmental science program, the physics program, and the computer science program with a survey of the basic tools from abstract and linear algebra that are used by physical scientists. The traditional topics on sets, basic counting principles and formulas, relations, mappings, linear transformations and matrixes as well as applications of these concepts to the sciences will be discussed in detail. Basic matrix algebra, inverses, transposes, adjoints and special matrices (such as unitary and hermitian matrices), along with systems of linear algebraic equations will be presented. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, diagonalization of matrices and functions of matrices will be studied and applications of matrices to such areas in the physical and computer sciences as quantum mechanics, physical chemistry, advanced inorganic chemistry and networks, and computer graphics will be emphasized. Throughout the course the emphasis will be on the application(s) of abstract mathematical systems to the physical sciences. Use of the mathematical software MAPLE w

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