I'd just like to check with you learned forum guys a few things:

I'd like to start studying Vector Calculus - what maths do you need (or is advisable to have) bafore starting on the subject.
I'm currently finishing a book on relatively basic calculus ("Calculus Made Easy", you may know it). Should I look up on matrices, or is this area developed during any introduction to Vector Calculus? Do you advise any particular book?

Thanks (speeds away at relativistic speed)

before doing vector calculus, you basically should know vectors and you should know calculus. that is, know what a vector dot product and vector cross product is. and know how to do basic integration and differentiation. that s about it.

if you already know the basics of differentiation and integration, you should be in business. you don t have to be super good at calculus, like you don t have to be expert at doing all the methods of integration and stuff.

i think being able to visualize things well in 3 dimensions is useful for vector calculus.

the book i used was Vector Calculus by marsden and tromba, and i thought it was a very nice book. i recommend it.

I learned a bit of Linear Algebra before doing Vector calc, but it's not totally necessary. You can just get a working knowledge of the stuff you might encounter (determinants of matrices, etc)

Also, if you're gonna learn from a textbook, DO NOT use "Vector Calculus" by Susan Jane Colley. We use it at my college, and it's awful. And I'm not just saying this because I don't understand the material; I got 89 and 100 on the two midterms for my vector calc class