In mathematics, and more specifically in linear algebra, a linear map (or linear mapping) is a particular kind of function between vector spaces, which respects the basic operations of vector addition and scalar multiplication. A standard example of a linear map is an matrix, which takes vectors in -dimensions into vectors in -dimensions in a way that is compatible with addition of vectors, and multiplication of vectors by scalars.
A linear map is a homomorphism of vector spaces. Thus, a linear map satisfies , where and are scalars, and and are vectors (elements of the vector space ). A linear mapping always maps the origin of to the origin of , and linear subspaces of onto linear subspaces in (possibly of a lower dimension); for example, it maps a plane through the origin in to either a plane through the origin in , a line through the origin in , or just the origin in . Linear maps can often be represented as matrices, and simple examples include rotation and reflection linear transformations.