Linear Algebra Classes on iTunes U
A friend of mine that wanted to get up to speed on matrix math asked me what I thought he should do. I told him I'd look at iTunes U and if I found some good class on Linear Algebra I'd tell him about it. Well, I have to say I'm amazed at what's available in the iTunes U selection.
I looked around a bit - it could be a little better organized, but I can say it's not bad - just time-consuming to find what you might be looking for. What I found was a pretty nice course called Linear Algebra, Spring 2005 from MIT Open Courseware. Thirty-five 40 minute lectures that start at a pretty basic level and seem to cover all the basics. It'll give him a really solid understanding of the matrix manipulations he's doing in his work, and hopefully some understanding as to why he's doing them.
I have to say that the first time I took Linear Algebra I got the mechanics down pretty well, but the level of understanding was just too thin. Maybe it was the guy teaching it, after all, it was a night-school class at a local campus, so it's not like he was a renowned lecturer, but still, I have to accept a good chunk of the blame.
Later, in grad school when I really learned it, I really enjoyed it as well. I told my friend that if he watched the course and had any questions I'd be glad to meet him for lunch and help him through the issues. I doubt he'll have a lot of questions - he's a smart guy, but it's always nice to know you have a safety net, and that's what I really gave him. Should be interesting to see how he does.