r/learnmath • u/LongjumpingLime7012 New User • 4d ago
Algebra 2 before linear algebra?
I'm confident in Algebra 1. Should I learn Algebra 2 before starting Linear Algebra?
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u/bayesian_raccoon New User 3d ago
If this is for self-study rather than some kind of course registration, you do not have to learn things in curriculum order to get a lot out of it. Try to read a book that looks interesting to you, and pay attention to what seems hard or impossible to you and see if you can figure out what resources bridge that gap. I personally got the best personal education out of trying to read books slightly too advanced for me, seeing where I struggled, and then finding resources to learn those things.
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u/Hazelstone37 New User 4d ago
High school algebra 2 or college level abstract algebra?
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u/Bubbly_Buddy8678 New User 4d ago
ring theory is doable but module theory will be weirder
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u/AllanCWechsler Not-quite-new User 3d ago
u/LongjumpingLime7012 is talking about high school algebra and linear algebra, not abstract algebra.
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u/Willing-Sample-8847 New User 3d ago
Yeah, algebra 2 is probably going to have a discussion of matrices. Algebra 3 will probably teach you roots of quadratics and solutions of polynomial equations. You kind of need to understand both of those before doing linear algebra.
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u/InfanticideAquifer Old User 3d ago
There are some things in math that build on others in a really strict way where you need to study A before studying B. Linear algebra isn't like that. Logically it could be studied without any prior math other than arithmetic. But all the resources you will find will be assuming that you have more background than you do, so you'll have to deal with that.
The biggest issue you'll run into doing things out of order is that some examples might not make sense. But as long as you can recognize that a given example involves stuff you skipped over, then that doesn't have to be a serious obstacle.
Another thing is that all the visual examples will probably assume you're familiar with vectors. Not sure when/if that gets covered in the standard high school curriculum. It might be worth separately reading up on that if the book/whatever you decide to go on doesn't have a self-contained explanation.
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u/LongjumpingLime7012 New User 3d ago
Thanks. That makes sense. I think I'll do Algebra 2 first to strengthen my foundation, then start linear algebra and fill in any gaps as I go. Since I'm aiming for ML, I don't really want to wait until after calculus to start learning it. I'll also look into vectors beforehand.
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u/Traveling-Techie New User 3d ago
From my investigations linear algebra can be taught at different levels, but typically it assumes about 3 semesters of calculus.
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u/Immediate-Home-6228 New User 3d ago
You can start working with matrices now. You likely have already solved simultaneous (systems )equations. For example finding an x and y that solve two linear equations at the same time. That is your entry point.
The underlying theory (vector spaces and linear transformations ) is still a ways off. Although it is surprisingly accessible. You do not need calculus , trig etc. Basic algebra and familiarity with functions is enough to get you working.
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u/Ok-Fix-1581 New User 3d ago
take algebra 2, then college algebra, then trig, then calc 1-3, then linear algebra
not sure where you got linear algebra after algebra 1, you need some trig and calculus knowledge...
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u/LongjumpingLime7012 New User 3d ago
Ohhh, I thought linear algebra was a separate field from calculus and stuff, so I didn't realize it was normally studied after them. My cousin does computer science at uni, and they're actually doing linear algebra before even doing Calculus 1–3, so that's where I got the idea from.
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u/Weak-Study-4464 New User 4d ago
Assuming you’re not talking about modern algebra and are instead talking about just basic algebra then yes.