<p>How much do engineers use linear algebra in upper division classes ?</p>
<p>It depends heavily on the engineering major and even the concentration within that major. For instance, in mechanical/aerospace engineering, linear algebra gets used quite a bit in various continuum mechanics areas, particular structures, but not so much (to my knowledge) in controls or fluids.</p>
<p>Didn’t take linear algebra, but I wish I did just so I’d have more exposure to the ideas of matrices and whatnot other than what I had to learn to get through Diff Eq.</p>
<p>Son took it before college. It is useful in Software Engineering if you work in graphics.</p>
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<p>Yeah, linear algebra definitely helps you understand what’s going on underneath in graphics. The class itself (Math 20F, I’m assuming?) is fairly easy. Next to 20C, it was the easiest for me to understand, although I did the worst because I was focusing more on other classes.</p>
<p>As far as CS upper division courses go, anything to do with graphics and image processing will require it.</p>
<p>If grad school is in your future then I would say it is essential. Many graduate courses and graduate level mathematics courses are based on fundamentals of linear algebra.</p>
<p>I’m guessing that it’s good for EE’s to know. They do a lot of signal processing and stuff, and a lot of that is grounded in linear algebra (Fourier etc). Also, theory of systems of ordinary differential equations - and of higher-order ordinary differential equations - is sort of couched in terms of linear algebra, so if you’re doing a lot of that (and what engineer doesn’t solve diffy q’s?) it would be important.</p>
<p>I would second that if you want to pursue further study of any technical or scientific field, linear algebra is pretty much required. It’s at least as fundamental as calculus and differential equations, and possibly even more fundamental than either of those. When you think about it, you can get just about everything you need to know about differential equations from calculus + linear algebra, and what are differentiation and integration but special kinds of linear operators? Coincidence or something more?</p>
<p>RacinReaver, I am surprised that your school did not make LA a requirement. How can you get through feedback systems without understanding matrices?</p>
<p>At WHOLE LOT…</p>
<p>Operations Research - (which supports engineering), Markov chains, optimization, linear programming.</p>
<p>Computer Graphics - Like someone mentioned earlier</p>
<p>Signal Processing - Uses a lot of numerical/computational linear algebra</p>
<p>Simulations - Sparse linear algebra algorithms are used for large-scale computer simulations and intelligent data processing (like simulating molecular structure, etc).</p>
<p>Just to name a few</p>
<p>they help you to get an idea also on how to solve complex differential equations in programming. I’m a chemical engineering major and I actually do use it many times when I have to do simulations and computational activities. I know that linear algebra could be really hard in the sense that there is so much to know (SO MANY PROOFS), but really as long as you know the basics, you should be fine.</p>
<p>I’ve used linear algebra in queueing theory, which borrows from concepts in control theory and fluid flow approximations.</p>
<p>Another good subject to take is complex analysis where you learn some of the principles of transforms.</p>
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<p>I know different engineering departments had different requirements, often times the department would offer a specialized class that would cover topics such as linear algebra, analysis, ODEs/PDEs. My department was small enough where we couldn’t manage that, so they just had us take two years of math plus stats. We got a bit of linear algebra in my Microstructures 2 class, though it was usually just enough to understand the current material.</p>
<p>I know my friends in ChemE, MechE, and ECE had a more substantial treatment of linear algebra than I did.</p>