Hestenes

The goal of this book is to present a unified mathematical treatment of diverse problems in mathematics, physics, computer science, and engineer­ ing using geometric algebra. Geometric algebra was invented by William Kingdon Clifford in 1878 as a unification and generalization of the works of Grassmann and Hamilton, which came more than a quarter of a century before.

This is a textbook on classical mechanics at the intermediate level, but its main purpose is to serve as an introduction to a new mathematical language for physics called geometric algebra. Mechanics is most commonly formulated today in terms of the vector algebra developed by the American physicist J. Willard Gibbs, but for some applications of mechanics the algebra of complex numbers is more efficient than vector algebra, while in other applica­ tions matrix algebra works better.

techniques, and raises new issues of physical interpretation as well as possibilities for deepening the theory. (3) Barut contributes a comprehensive review of his own ambitious program in electron theory and quantum electrodynamics.

Matrix algebra has been called "the arithmetic of higher mathematics" [Be]. We think the basis for a better arithmetic has long been available, but its versatility has hardly been appreciated, and it has not yet been integrated into the mainstream of mathematics.