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scalar [2015/02/12 10:39] – created rupert		scalar [2015/02/12 10:40] (current) – rupert

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-	In linear algebra, a scalar is just a fancy name for a number (in this course: a //real// number). The reason is that numbers are often used for scaling things up or down; for example, the scalar $3$ is often used to scale things up by a factor of $3$, by means of multiplying by $3$.	+	In linear algebra, a scalar is just a fancy name for a number (in this course: a //real// number). The reason is that numbers are often used for scaling things up or down; for example, the scalar $3$ is often used to scale things up by a factor of $3$ (by multiplying by $3$).