Matousek started gathering these succinct applications of linear algebra some years ago, and has decided to share his collection with students. Each problem can be covered in a typical 90-minute class, he says, the earlier ones suitable for undergraduates and the latter ones for graduates. He assumes a background in basic linear algebra, a bit of familiarity with polynomials, and some terminology of graph-theory and geometry. Readers are free to notice recurring patterns, and features of linear algebra as a whole, but he does not point them out. Nothing here is original, he says. Among his topics are Fibonacci numbers, equi-angular lines, covering a cube minus one vertex, walking in the yard, turning a ladder over a finite field, the secret agent and the umbrella, and cutting cheaply using eigenvectors. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)