Mastering MATLAB 5: A Comprehensive Tutorial and Reference [Paperback]

Duane C. Hanselman (Author), Bruce R. Littlefield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 23, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0138583668 | ISBN-13: 978-0138583668

Does not cover release 5.3 details, but still is the most complete title on MATLAB.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This comprehensive book covers all aspects of MATLAB presented within an easy-to-follow "learn while doing" tutorial format. This book provides a complete reference to all MATLAB functions and graphics properties in one volume and provides numerous examples demonstrating the usefulness of MATLAB in solving real-world problems. It includes over 100 MATLAB M-files that illustrate the use of MATLAB in performing practical tasks and provides tools for Fourier series; interpolation; curve fitting; optimization; data analysis; graphical data analysis; array manipulation; plotting data; GUI construction; and GUI control of axes, line and surface properties. An essential reference for any scientific or technical professional who needs an in-depth understanding of the uses of MATLAB.

Product Details

• Paperback: 638 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall (December 23, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0138583668
• ISBN-13: 978-0138583668
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,087,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Covers MATLAB basics well, poor on programming applications., November 4, 1999

By 

Prof. M H Burton - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mastering MATLAB 5: A Comprehensive Tutorial and Reference (Paperback)

I bought a number of copies of this book for our departmental library. It serves quite well as a general reference on MATLAB usage. The sections on matrix manipulations, graphics and strings are fine. However, the section on Control Flow is very poor. The power of MATLAB is that it provides an extremely efficient, matrix-based, programming language. This is glossed over in one short chapter, with only trivial illustrative examples. I still refer my students to the book but, for motivating examples, I also refer them to the book by Charles van Loan.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best available book on the MATLAB language, September 11, 1998

By 

Frank Regan([e-mail] (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mastering MATLAB 5: A Comprehensive Tutorial and Reference (Paperback)

I had used the author's previous edition and found it to be just fair. This new edition, which concentrates on the latest version of MATLAB is an excellent book and a vast improvement. Gone is the simple reproduction of MATLAB help files. This book is a good tutorial in that it provides many examples and procedes from the most elementary concepts to the quite advanced; it is also an excellent reference containing a brief discussion of the many functions that are available but cannot be discussed at length. The user can always access the help files to get the syntax correct. There may be a "bult-in" function that they have missed, but it must be very obscure. I would highly recommend this book for both the MATLAB beginner and for the experienced user who may not be entirely familar with the capabilities of version 5. Be advised however, that this is a book about MATLAB and not tutorial in linear (matrix) algebra. Dolores Etter's books (also by Prentice-Hall) are more suited to that purpose.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a reference!, April 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mastering MATLAB 5: A Comprehensive Tutorial and Reference (Paperback)

As a practising engineer, I have a strong background in mathematics and programming. I have none in MATLAB. I found that the book had serious flaws, the least of which is a decent index (how can a book claim to be a reference with such a weak index!). I had to rely on other books to give me the introduction to MATLAB that I needed. This book made it hard to find the "how to" type information that most beginners/intermediates need.

Its OK for experienced users who already know what function calls they're supposed to be using.