Linear Algebra Diagnostic topics

The following is a non-exhaustive list of topics included on the Linear Algebra Diagnostic Exam.

Vector spaces over real and complex numbers; subspaces; bases; spanning sets; linear independence; dimension.
Linear transformations; rank and nullity; matrices, change of basis formula, similarity.
Eigenspaces, diagonalization.
Inner products, norms; orthogonal complements and projection, Riesz representation theorem, minimization problems;
self-adjoint and normal operators: spectral theorem. Unitary operators and isometries; minimizing properties of eigenvalues.
Jordan canonical form; characteristic and minimal polynomials, Cayley-Hamilton theorem.
Trace and determinant.

It is important for students to have a conceptual understanding of the material and to have a good grasp of proof techniques.

These topics can be found in various textbooks. For example, they are covered in the following reference:

Linear Algebra Done Right, by Sheldon Axler, 3rd. edition (2015). Springer-Verlag, Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics.

Previous Linear Algebra Exams: