Mathematics
How Linear Transformations Rotate and Stretch Space
Quick fact
A single 2×2 matrix can represent a rotation, a reflection, or a stretch — and its determinant tells you how much the area changes, with a negative sign meaning a flip!
Why this is interesting
You've probably seen matrices as grids of numbers, but what do they actually do? The secret is that each matrix is a machine that moves the entire space around you in a precise, grid-friendly way.