This book is a thorough introduction to linear algebra, for the graduate or advanced undergraduate student. Prerequisites are limited to a knowledge of the basic properties of matrices and determinants. However, since we cover the basics of vector spaces and linear transformations rather rapidly, a prior course in linear algebra (even at the sophomore level), along with a certain measure of "mathematical maturity," is highly desirable. Chapter 0 contains a summary of certain topics in modern algebra that are required for the sequel. This chapter should be skimmed quickly and then used primarily as a reference. Chapters 1-3 contain a discussion of the basic properties of vector spaces and linear transformations. Chapter 4 is devoted to a discussion of modules, emphasizing a comparison between the properties of modules and those of vector spaces. Chapter 5 provides more on modules. The main goals of this chapter are to prove that any two bases of a free module have the same cardinality and to introduce noetherian modules. However, the instructor may simply skim over this chapter, omitting all proofs. Chapter 6 is devoted to the theory of modules over a principal ideal domain, establishing the cyclic decomposition theorem for finitely generated modules. This theorem is the key to the structure theorems for finite dimensional linear operators, discussed in Chapters 7 and 8. Chapter 9 is devoted to real and complex inner product spaces.

This book corresponds to a mathematical course given in 1986/87 at the University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg. This work is primarily intended for graduate students. The following are necessary prerequisites : a few standard definitions in set theory, the definition of rational integers, some elementary facts in Combinatorics (maybe only Newton's binomial formula), some theorems of Analysis at the level of high schools, and some elementary Algebra (basic results about groups, rings, fields and linear algebra). An important place is given to exercises. These exercises are only rarely direct applications of the course. More often, they constitute complements to the text. Mostly, hints or references are given so that the reader should be able to find solutions. Chapters one and two deal with elementary results of Number Theory, for example : the euclidean algorithm, the Chinese remainder theorem and Fermat's little theorem. These results are useful by themselves, but they also constitute a concrete introduction to some notions in abstract algebra (for example, euclidean rings, principal rings … ). Algorithms are given for arithmetical operations with long integers. The rest of the book, chapters 3 through 7, deals with polynomials. We give general results on polynomials over arbitrary rings. Then polynomials with complex coefficients are studied in chapter 4, including many estimates on the complex roots of polynomials. Some of these estimates are very useful in the subsequent chapters.