Cleve's Corner: Experiments with MATLAB

Experiments with MATLAB is a free, online book for educators and high school students looking for material that goes beyond their standard courses. College students early in their careers will also find value in the materials and exercises.
Now a full-fledged technical computing language, MATLAB started in the late 1970s as a simple “Matrix Laboratory.” Experiments with MATLAB builds on this laboratory tradition by describing experiments involving applied mathematics and technical computing. MATLAB programming is introduced with code snippets and small programs, many of which use interactive graphics.
To make the most of the book’s experiments, readers need a high-school-level knowledge of geometry, algebra, and trigonometry. Experiments with MATLAB introduces topics involving calculus, matrices, and differential equations, but it does not assume that students have completed courses in these subjects.
In this Cleve’s Corner, I’ve included edited excerpts from Experiments with MATLAB to give you some idea of the level and tone of the book. I encourage you not only to read about the experiments but also to modify and improve them.

By Cleve Moler, The MathWorks
 
This article was published in The MathWorks News & Notes, 2008