How Lewis Carroll computed determinants (2023)

> Arrange the given block, if necessary, so that no ciphers [zeros] occur in its interior.

I forgot that cipher used to have a different meaning: zero, via Arabic. In some languages it means digit.

Terrence Tao blogged about this.

https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2017/08/28/dodgson-condensati...

> Dodgson’s original paper from 1867 is quite readable, surprisingly so given that math notation and terminology changes over time.

Given that Jabberwocky is also quite readable, we shouldn't be too astonished.

Wow, I never realized the cofactor method wasn’t the only one.

I loathed it and it put me off wanting to get into advanced matrix topics.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/37354/37354-pdf.pdf

When I'm not cognitively depleted from over working and kids I'd really like to sit down and read this properly.

And just like back in university I know how how calculate Determinants but have no clue what one would actually use it for.

HN title filter cut off the initial "How".

You can manually edit it back in.