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Aug 3, 2014 at 14:49 comment added Manfred Weis @AndyPutman I don't think that there is a default orientation for vectors; its similar to big-endian and little-endian in binary encoding of information: it is not so interesting that there are two options and that different people have different preferences, but it is (at least for me) interesting to learn the reasons why people change their mind and use the other option.
Aug 3, 2014 at 14:37 comment added Manfred Weis @AlexandreEremenko the reason, why I asked is related to your argument: I suspect, that there has been a shift in the 'focus' of linear algebra: row vectors are the more natural choice, if one is interested in determining matrices (i.e. transformations that meet certain conditions); column vectors are the more natural choice, if the vectors are the unknown quantities like in least-squares problems. Would be interesting to learn, whether there actually was such a change and, where it came from.
Jul 29, 2014 at 19:34 history closed Andy Putman
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Jul 29, 2014 at 17:15 comment added Alexandre Eremenko I think an overwhelming majority writes matrices on the left (and vectors as columns). Like almost all people write the function on the left of the argument: $f(x)$ or $fx$, not $(x)f$ :-)
Jul 29, 2014 at 16:50 comment added Andy Putman What makes you think there is a "default orientation" for vectors? Some people like matrices to act on the left, others on the right. In any case, this is not at the right level for MO and I've voted to close.
Jul 29, 2014 at 16:42 review Close votes
Jul 29, 2014 at 19:34
Jul 29, 2014 at 16:19 history edited Ryan Budney
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Jul 29, 2014 at 16:18 history asked Manfred Weis CC BY-SA 3.0