This book discusses major topics in Galois theory and advanced linear algebra, including canonical forms. Divided into four chapters and presenting numerous new theorems, it serves as an easy-to-understand textbook for undergraduate students of advanced linear algebra, and helps students understand other courses, such as Riemannian geometry. The book also discusses key topics including Cayley–Hamilton theorem, Galois groups, Sylvester’s law of inertia, Eisenstein criterion, and solvability by radicals. Readers are assumed to have a grasp of elementary properties of groups, rings, fields, and vector spaces, and familiarity with the elementary properties of positive integers, inner product space of finite dimension and linear transformations is beneficial.

The material presented here can be divided into two parts. The first, sometimes referred to as abstract algebra, is concerned with the general theory of algebraic objects such as groups, rings, and fields, hence, with topics that are also basic for a number of other domains in mathematics. The second centers around Galois theory and its applications. Historically, this theory originated from the problem of studying algebraic equations, a problem that, after various unsuccessful attempts to determine solution formulas in higher degrees, found its complete clarification through the brilliant ideas of E. Galois. The study of algebraic equations has served as a motivating terrain for a large part of abstract algebra, and according to this, algebraic equations are visible as a guiding thread throughout the book. To underline this point, an introduction to the history of algebraic equations is included. The entire book is self-contained, up to a few prerequisites from linear algebra. It covers most topics of current algebra courses and is enriched by several optional sections that complement the standard program or, in some cases, provide a first view on nearby areas that are more advanced. Every chapter begins with an introductory section on "Background and Overview," motivating the material that follows and discussing its highlights on an informal level. Furthermore, each section ends with a list of specially adapted exercises, some of them with solution proposals in the appendix. The present English edition is a translation and critical revision of the eighth German edition of the Algebra book by the author. The book appeared for the first time in 1993 and, in later years, was complemented by adding a variety of related topics. At the same time it was modified and polished to keep its contents up to date.

This translation of the 1987 German edition is an introduction into the classical parts of algebra with a focus on fields and Galois theory. It discusses nonstandard topics, such as the transcendence of pi, and new concepts are defined in the framework of the development of carefully selected problems. It includes an appendix with exercises and notes on the previous parts of the book, and brief historical comments are scattered throughout.

Galois theory is a mature mathematical subject of particular beauty. Any Galois theory book written nowadays bears a great debt to Emil Artin’s classic text "Galois Theory," and this book is no exception. While Artin’s book pioneered an approach to Galois theory that relies heavily on linear algebra, this book’s author takes the linear algebra emphasis even further. This special approach to the subject together with the clarity of its presentation, as well as the choice of topics covered, has made the first edition of this book a more than worthwhile addition to the literature on Galois Theory. The second edition, with a new chapter on transcendental extensions, will only further serve to make the book appreciated by and approachable to undergraduate and beginning graduate math majors.

Covers a notably broad range of topics, including some topics not generally found in linear algebra books Contains a discussion of the basics of linear algebra

Advanced Linear Algebra features a student-friendly approach to the theory of linear algebra. The author’s emphasis on vector spaces over general fields, with corresponding current applications, sets the book apart. He focuses on finite fields and complex numbers, and discusses matrix algebra over these fields. The text then proceeds to cover vector spaces in depth. Also discussed are standard topics in linear algebra including linear transformations, Jordan canonical form, inner product spaces, spectral theory, and, as supplementary topics, dual spaces, quotient spaces, and tensor products. Written in clear and concise language, the text sticks to the development of linear algebra without excessively addressing applications. A unique chapter on "How to Use Linear Algebra" is offered after the theory is presented. In addition, students are given pointers on how to start a research project. The proofs are clear and complete and the exercises are well designed. In addition, full solutions are included for almost all exercises.

From the reviews: "This is a great book, which will hopefully become a classic in the subject of differential Galois theory. [...] the specialist, as well as the novice, have long been missing an introductory book covering also specific and advanced research topics. This gap is filled by the volume under review, and more than satisfactorily." Mathematical Reviews