PrefaceNumerical Computing with MATLAB is a textbook for an introductory coursein numerical methods, Matlab, and technical computing. The emphasis is on in-formed use of mathematical software. We want you learn enough about the mathe-matical functions in Matlab that you will be able to use them correctly, appreciatetheir limitations, and modify them when necessary to suit your own needs. Thetopics include• introduction to Matlab,• linear equations,• interpolation,• zero and roots,• least squares,• quadrature,• ordinary differential equations,• random numbers,• Fourier analysis,• eigenvalues and singular values,• partial differential equations.George Forsythe initiated a software-based numerical methods course at Stan-ford University in the late 1960s. The textbooks by Forsythe, Malcolm, and Moler[1] and Kahaner, Moler, and Nash [2] that evolved from the Stanford course werebased upon libraries of Fortran subroutines.This textbook is based upon Matlab. NCM, a collection of over 70 M-files, forms an essential part of the book. Many of the over 200 exercises involvemodifying and extending the programs in NCM. The book also makes extensiveuse of computer graphics, including interactive graphical expositions of numericalalgorithms.The prerequisites for the course, and the book, includeDecember 26, 200512 Preface• calculus,• some familiarity with ordinary differential equations,• some familiarity with matrices,• some computer programming experience.If you’ve never used Matlab before, the first chapter will help you get started. Ifyou’re already familiar with Matlab, you can glance over most of the first chapterquickly. Everyone should read the section in the first chapter about floating-pointarithmetic.There is probably too much material here for a one-quarter or one-semestercourse. Plan to cover the first several chapters and then choose the portions of thelast four chapters that interest you.Make sure that the NCM collection is installed on your network or your per-sonal computer as you read the book. The software is available from a Web sitedevoted to the book [3]:http://www.mathworks.com/molerThere are three types of NCM files:• gui files: interactive graphical demonstrations;• tx files: textbook implementations of built-in Matlab functions;• others: miscellaneous files, primarily associated with exercises.When you have NCM available,ncmguiproduces the figure shown on the next page. Each thumbnail plot is actually a pushbutton that launches the corresponding gui.This book would not have been possible without the people at The MathWorksand at SIAM. Both groups are professional, creative, and delightful to work with.They have been esp ecially supportive of this book project. Out of the many friendsand colleagues who have made specific contributions, I want to mention five inparticular. Kathryn Ann Moler has used early drafts of the book several times incourses at Stanford and has been my best critic. Tim Davis and Charlie Van Loanwrote especially helpful reviews. Lisl Urban did an immaculate editing job. My wifePatsy has lived with my work habits and my laptop and loves me anyway. Thanks,everyone.Cleve MolerMarch 28, 2004Preface 3ncmgui.4 PrefaceBibliography[1] G. Forsythe, M. Malcolm, and C. Moler, Computer Methods for Math-ematical Computations, Prentice–Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1977.[2] D. Kahaner, C. Moler, and S. Nash, Numerical Methods and Software,Prentice–Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1989.[3] C. Moler, Numerical Computing with MATLAB,Electronic edition: The MathWorks, Inc., Natick, MA, 2004.http://www.mathworks.com/molerPrint edition: SIAM, Philadelphia,
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