Linear Algebra Done Wrong
Linear Algebra Done Wrong by Sergei Treilby Sergei Treil
Ranked 7 of 7 linear algebra textbooks by recommenders
Recommended for motivated honors math students who want a proof-focused approach that covers determinants, which some other linear algebra texts avoid.
Recommended for motivated honors math students who want a proof-focused approach that covers determinants, which some other linear algebra texts avoid.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Proof-focused honors approach
“probably the best option for a motivated honors math student, because unlike Axler the author doesn't hate determinants”
Comment from 17 Aug 2026 in “Linear Algebra Done Right – Sheldon Axler” “for an honors approach with more focus on proofs”
Comment from 17 Aug 2026 in “Linear Algebra Done Right – Sheldon Axler” Covers determinants, unlike Axler
“probably the best option for a motivated honors math student, because unlike Axler the author doesn't hate determinants”
Comment from 17 Aug 2026 in “Linear Algebra Done Right – Sheldon Axler” Liked by readers
“I quite liked Linear Algebra Done Wrong”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “The early History of the Singular Value Decomposition (1993) [pdf]”
Other linear algebra textbooks people recommend
The four most recommended other linear algebra textbooks, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linear Algebra Done Rightby Sheldon Axler | 41 | 12 | 77% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Introduction to Linear Algebraby Gilbert Strang | 11 | 5 | 69% | 4 | — | Approved |
| Linear Algebraby Friedberg, Insel and Spence | 8 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Linear Algebra and Its Applicationsby David Lay | 6 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Linear Algebra Done Wrongby Sergei TreilThis page | 3 | 1 | 75% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
All 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“LADR is far better than LADW”
“probably the best option for a motivated honors math student, because unlike Axler the author doesn't hate determinants”
“for an honors approach with more focus on proofs”
“I quite liked Linear Algebra Done Wrong”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.