<p>
</p>
<p>That was always a “head-scratcher” for me. Why was my school telling us to take Linear Algebra AFTER Diff Equs but wanted to give a 1 or 2 lecture “fast intro” of Linear Algebra during the Diff Eqs course??</p>
<p>LinAlg does make sense before DiffEqs. It’s easier and you actually apply concepts such as the Wronskian/eigenvalues which are better covered in LinAlg than in DiffEqs that would be helpful to know better for DiffEqs.</p>
<p>In my school, there’s a 3-quarter sequence: 1) Differential Equations, 2) Linear Algebra, and then 3) Let’s use them together!.</p>
<p>I took a single 5 semester unit course in combined linear algebra/differential equations. It wasn’t bad learning them together since the LA stuff you use to solve DE.</p>
<p>LinAlg->DiffEqs->PDEs would make the most sense.</p>
<p>I’m not saying linear algebra is hard to understand without diffy qs, but I’m saying that systems of coupled diffy qs are something you can’t even cover in your diffy q class <em>unless</em> they either made linear algebra a prereq or combined diffy qs and linear algebra into one class. Fortunately my physics program has combined relativity/mathematical methods class at the end of the intermediate classical mechanics series to prep you for E&M and quantum, but I wonder what other schools do.</p>
<p>Anyway, they are about to switch to a combined linear algebra/diffy q class, so you can cover systems of diffy qs, which is how it ought to be done. Now here’s a thought: a year-long linear algebra/diffy q/complex analysis sequence.</p>
<p>When I was an undergrad, the diff eq class I took also covered a fair amount of linear algebra. There were also other linear algebra courses one could take that went into more depth. (All of these classes were offered by the math department.) Except for a class that was on the theoretical math track, the most advanced prerequisite was multivariable calculus.</p>