Matrices - Matrices

The aim of 16-19 Mathematics has been to produce a course which, while chaallenging, is accessible and enjoyable to all students.

The course develops ability and confidence in mathematics and its applications, together with an appreciation of how mathematical ideas help in the understanding of the world and society in which we live. This unit develops: * an awareness of the practical uses of matrices; * an awareness of the link between algebraic and geometric approaches to problems; * manipulative skills with matrices; * an appreciation of n-dimensional space, through a strong 2- and 3-dimensional geometrical background; * an ability to find the inverse of a n x n matrix; * an ability to recognise that the determinant of a 2 x 2 matrix represents the area scale factor.