MATLAB® is a very popular language for technical computing used by
students, engineers, and scientists in universities, research institutes, and industries
all over the world. The software is popular because it is powerful and easy to
use. For university freshmen in it can be thought of as the next tool to use after the
graphic calculator in high school.
This book was written following several years of teaching the software to
freshmen in an introductory engineering course. The objective was to write a book
that teaches the software in a friendly, non-intimidating fashion. Therefore, the
book is written in simple and direct language. In many places bullets, rather than
lengthy text, are used to list facts and details that are related to a specific topic.
The book includes numerous sample problems in mathematics, science, and engineering
that are similar to problems encountered by new users of MATLAB.
This third edition of the book is updated for MATLAB 7.5 (Release 2007b).
Other modifications/changes to this edition are: script files are introduced in
Chapter 1 (this allows students to use script files for solving problems in Chapters
2 and 3), new coverage of the Workspace Window, the save and load commands,
plotting figures with error bars, and instructions for using several Figure Windows
at the same time. Chapter 6 was revised to include coverage on anonymous functions,
function functions, function handles, subfunctions and nested functions. In
addition, the end of chapter problems have been revised. There are many new
problems (more than half), and the problems cover a wider range of topics.
I would like to thank several of my colleagues at The Ohio State University.
Professors Richard Freuler, Mark Walter, and Walter Lampert, and Dr. Mike Parke
read sections of the book and suggested modifications. I also appreciate the
involvement and support of Professors Robert Gustafson and John Demel and Dr.
John Merrill from the First-Year Engineering Program at The Ohio State University.
Special thanks go to Professor Mike Lichtensteiger (OSU), and my daughter
Tal Gilat (Marquette University), who carefully reviewed the first edition of the
book and provided valuable comments and criticisms. Professor Brian Harper
(OSU) has made a significant contribution to the new end of chapter problems in
the present edition.