# What's a Vector in Mathematics?

I'm trying to learn about Vectors in Math, but I can't find a website where I can understand anything, please help me understand by posting a good link, or a good explanation of what a vector in math is..............

Note by Percy Jackson
2 months ago

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Hi Percy. This is a really amazing "interactive textbook" all about linear algebra. Hope you find it helpful!

- 2 months ago

Thanks David!

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

And a vector $\vec{z}$ (\vec{z}) is represented like this: $(a,b)$, which denotes if you put its starting point on the origin, it’s endpoint is on $(a,b)$.

- 2 months ago

Doesn't the way you represent vectors differ from country to country? E.g., I've always learnt to write vectors as $\begin{pmatrix} a \\ b \end{pmatrix}$.

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

$\begin{pmatrix} a \ b \end{pmatrix}$ - YOu mean this @Lorenz W.

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

No, in a way where a is located on the top of b.

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

$\begin{pmatrix} \frac{a}{b} \end{pmatrix}$

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

Yes kind of like that, if you'd remove the linke between a and b )

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

$\begin{pmatrix} a \\ b \end{pmatrix}$ @Lorenz W. put double \ after a instead of \ in your latex :)

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

How did you do that in Latex?

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

Just a \choose b $a\choose b$

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

\s(s\begin{pmatrix} a \s\ b \end{pmatrix} \s) but kick all the s out

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

@Lorenz W. put double \ after a instead of \ in your latex :)

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

Ok. Thank you

- 1 month, 4 weeks ago

A vector would be used to show the distance and direction something moved in. If you ask for directions, and a person says "Walk one kilometer towards the North", that's a vector. If he says "Walk one kilometer", without showing a direction, it would be a scalar.

@Percy Jackson, this is for you...

- 2 months ago

That is physics, where a vector has both direction and magnitude, I'm talking about vectors in Math, as in Euclidian geometry and Euclidian vectors @Hamza Anushath, thanks for trying!

- 2 months ago

But we draw them on diagrams instead...

- 2 months ago

@Percy Jackson, they are the same thing! Check it out yourself...

- 2 months ago

Oh! Thanks, I thought that they were different things, as it was in in the 12th std Syllabus of maths. @Hamza Anushath

- 2 months ago