The audacious title of this book deserves an explanation. Almost all linear algebra books use determinants to prove that every linear operator on a finite-dimensional complex vector space has an eigenvalue. Determinants are difficult, nonintuitive, and often defined without motivation. To prove the theorem about existence of eigenvalues on complex vector spaces, most books must.define determinants, prove that a linear map is not invertible ff and only if its determinant equals O, and then define the characteristic polynomial. This tortuous (torturous?) path gives students little feeling for why eigenvalues must exist. In contrast, the simple determinant-free proofs presented here offer more insight. Once determinants have been banished to the end of the book, a new route opens to the main goal of linear algebra-- understanding the structure of linear operators.
