September 2014
Intermediate to advanced
776 pages
24h 3m
English
This chapter reviews, mostly without proof, a number of mathematical topics that you should have encountered before—including sets, vectors and matrices, complex numbers, sinusoidal and other functions, and some results from calculus. The material may be read rapidly, and referred to later as you have need. For a comprehensive treatment of any of these items, consult your previous texts.
The following symbols denote mathematical objects and operations you have probably seen in your prior coursework. Additional new notation will be introduced throughout the book as new concepts are introduced.
Common operations and relations
| +, − | Addition and subtraction |
| ·, × | Multiplication (numbers) or dot and cross product, respectively (vectors) |
| ÷, / | Division |
| |x| | Absolute value of number x |
| Norm, or length, of vector |
|
| =, ≠, ≈ | Equal, not equal, approximately equal |
| >, ≥, <, ≤ | Greater than, greater than or equal, less than, less than or equal |
| ≫, ≪ | Much greater than, much less than |
| ∑Nk = Mxk | The sum xM + xM + 1 + ⋅⋅⋅ + xN |
Defining sets
| The real numbers | |
| The complex numbers | |
| The integers | |
| The natural ... |