Getting Started with MATLAB: A Quick Introduction for Scientists and Engineers [Paperback]

Rudra Pratap (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0199731241 | ISBN-13: 978-0199731244 | Publication Date: November 16, 2009

MATLAB, a software package for high-performance numerical computation and visualization, is one of the most widely used tools in the engineering field today. Its broad appeal lies in its interactive environment, which features hundreds of built-in functions for technical computation, graphics, and animation. In addition, MATLAB provides easy extensibility with its own high-level programming language.

Enhanced by fun and appealing illustrations, Getting Started with MATLAB employs a casual, accessible writing style that shows users how to enjoy using MATLAB.

Features

* Discusses new features and applications, including the new engine of symbolic computation in MATLAB 7.8 (released March 2009)
* Provides two sets of self guided tutorials for learning essential features of MATLAB
* Includes updated commands, examples, figure, and graphs
* Familiarizes users with MATLAB in just a few hours though self-guided lessons
* Covers elementary, advanced, and special functions
* Supplements any course that uses MATLAB
* Works as a stand-alone tutorial and reference

Visit the companion website at http://www.oup.com/us/pratap for more information on updates to MATLAB software.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rudra Pratap is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199731241
• ISBN-13: 978-0199731244
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST first MATLAB book for scientists and engineers, November 8, 2006

By 

NumericalMethodsGuy "Mechanical Engineering P... - See all my reviews

This review is from: Getting Started with MATLAB 7: A Quick Introduction for Scientists and Engineers (The Oxford Series in Electrical and Computer Engineering) (Paperback)

This book is a true joy to read. It is well-organized, well-written, and provides the most clearly illustrated (through examples and figures) introduction to MATLAB I have found. More importantly, it is specifically geared to scientists and engineers e.g. those seeking to exploit MATLAB's numerical methods capabilities either for teaching, learning, or researching. Each chapter contains relevant and useful exercises from the material and provides complete answers for you to check your work right away. The sections on graphics and publishing are very nice and demonstrate how MATLAB is a full-service software tool. The second half of the book provides an excellent overview of "Applications" - basically, numerical methods using MATLAB. The book focuses on the built-in functions for root finding, quadrature, ODEs, etc. but not the details of the algorithms themselves (here it refers you to a numerical methods textbook). This should be the first book any scientist or engineers buys when starting to learn MATLAB. The MATLAB Guide by Higham and Higham (2nd Edition, SIAM) should be next . . . Enjoy!

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An easy Intro!, January 29, 2006

By 

Palle E T Jorgensen "Palle Jorgensen" (Iowa City, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Getting Started with MATLAB 7: A Quick Introduction for Scientists and Engineers (The Oxford Series in Electrical and Computer Engineering) (Paperback)

I think this is a really nice and user friendly book if you look for a painless intro to mathlab, or if you look for the quick and essential tips that can get you started hands-on with a few functions or programs. No prerequisites are needed!
Of the computer and programming tools out there in math and in CS, Matlab is probably the one that it tailored more directly to numerical computations and to matrices (to graphics too!); as opposed to symbolic manipulations, where perhaps Mathematica and Mable have an edge. Yet, these choices often come down to a matter of taste, and to what you are used to. Or what the book or the class is steering you towards.
Still, I noticed over the past year, that teachers and students involved with elementary numerical analysis, math, or CS courses have liked this little book. And yet, there are lots of other Matlab-books out there; as well as manuals, step-by-step guides, etc; and some are even free on the web. Thanks God for Google! But this little book seems especially attractive for beginners.
Review by Palle Jorgensen, January 29, 2006.

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars first course in symbolic algebra, October 18, 2005

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Getting Started with MATLAB 7: A Quick Introduction for Scientists and Engineers (The Oxford Series in Electrical and Computer Engineering) (Paperback)

Pratap teaches the latest version of Matlab to someone who need never have encountered symbolic algebra before. The basics are covered in enough detail to get you up and running with Matlab. Hopefully so that you can decide if your problems are suitable for tackling with Matlab, and if so, how to get input a problem and extract an answer.

This guide understandably does not give the full scope of Matlab's abilities. That is left for more advanced texts. Pratap's book is suitable for an undergraduate level course.