A B O U T M AT L A B
0.1 What isMATLAB?
MATLABis produced by MathWorks, and is one of a number of commercially
available software packages for numerical computing and programming.MAT-
LABprovides an interactive environment for algorithm development, data
visualisation, data analysis, and numerical computation.MATLAB, which
derives its name from MATrix LABoratory, excels at matrix operations and
graphics. Its main competitors are Maple, Mathematica, and Mathcad, each
with their own strengths and weaknesses. MATLABR2011a
student version is
available for around
£MATLABis available in both commercial and academic versions with new
releases binannually e. g. R2011a (released around March 2011), and R2011b
(released around September 2011).MATLABitself is the core product and is
augmented by additional toolboxes, many of which have to be purchased separ-
ately. If you want to runMATLABon your own computer MathWorks offers
a student version (http://www.mathworks.com/academia/student_version/)
with some of the most commonly used toolboxes for around £50. The accom-
panying online material, and the screenshots in this document are based on
MATLABR2009a running under Microsoft Windows XP.
0.2 How isMATLABused in industry?
Knowing how to use
MATLABis a vital
skill for many
engineering jobs!The ability to use tools such asMATLABis increasingly required by employ-
ers of graduate engineers in industry. Many job adverts specifically mention
knowledge ofMATLABas an essential skill.
MATLABis a widely-used tool in many different fields of engineering and
science. The following is a brief list of examples from Chemical, Civil, Electrical,
and Mechanical Engineering:- Motorsport Teams Improve Vehicle Performance with MathWorks Tools
(http://www.mathworks.com/products/simmechanics/userstories.html?file=11197) - Bell Helicopter Develops the First Civilian Tiltrotor
(http://www.mathworks.com/company/newsletters/news_notes/oct06/bellhelicopter.html)
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