Learn in the textbookLinear Algebra, Calculus, and Error
DefinitionA matrix (行列) is a set of numbers laid out in a rectangle made of horizontal lines (rows) and vertical lines (columns).
ExplanationA matrix with m rows and n columns is called an m-by-n matrix and holds m × n numbers, its elements (成分). A matrix with only one row or only one column can be treated as a vector, so a matrix can also be seen as vectors placed side by side. Matrices are used to write the coefficients of a system of linear equations compactly and to carry out a coordinate transformation in one calculation.
AnalogyThink of a cinema seating chart: the row and seat number fix each position, and every position holds exactly one number.
Memory hookRows run across like a line of text, while columns stand upright like the columns holding up a building.