MATLAB Software

Although the ML exercises can be solved using a number of software packages, in our judgment MATLAB is the most suitable package for this purpose. MATLAB is a versatile and powerful software package whose cornerstone is its linear algebra capabilities. MATLAB incorporates professionally developed quality computer routines for linear algebra computation. The code employed by MATLAB is written in the C language and is upgraded as new versions of MATLAB are released. MATLAB is available from the Math Works, Inc., 24 Prime Park Way, Natick, MA 01760, [(508) 653-1415], e-mail: info@mathworks.com. The Student version is available from Prentice Hall at a reasonable cost. This Student Edition of MATLAB also includes a version of Maple, thereby providing a symbolic computational capability.

Chapter 10 of this edition consists of a brief introduction to MATLAB's capabilities for solving linear algebra problems. Although programs can be written within MATLAB to implement many mathematical algorithms, it should be noted that the reader of this book is not asked to write programs. The user is merely asked to use MATLAB (or any other comparable software package) to solve specific numerical problems

Approximately 18 programs, called scripts or M-files, have been developed in MATLAB and are available to users of this book through The Math Works, Inc. Complete and mail the reply card bound at the front of the book. If the card is missing, contact The Math Works's Sales Department at (508) 653-1415 [via fax at (508) 653-2997 or via e-mail at info@mathworks.com]. Indicate that you want the Introductory Linear Algebra with Applications Toolbox. Be sure to include your mailing address as well as noting whether you want a PC or Macintosh format diskette. These M-files are designed to transform many of MATLAB's capabilities into courseware. This is done by providing pedagogy that allows the student to interact with MATLAB, thereby letting the student think through all the steps in the solution of a problem and relegating MATLAB to act as a powerful calculator to relieve the drudgery of tedious computation. Indeed, this is the ideal role for MATLAB (or any other similar package) in a beginning linear algebra course, for in this course, more than in many others, the tedium of lengthy computations makes it almost impossible to solve a modest-size problem. Thus, by introducing pedagogy and reigning in the power of MATLAB, these M-files provide a working partnership between the student and the computer. Moreover, the introduction to a powerful tool such as MATLAB early in the student's college career opens the way for other software support in higher-level courses, especially in science and engineering.

ATLAST Computer Exercises for Linear Algebra
(ISBN 0-13-270273-8)

ATLAST (Augmenting the Teaching of Linear Algebra through the use of Software Tools) is an NSF sponsored project to encourage and facilitate the use of software in the teaching of linear algebra. Since 1992 ATLAST has been offering faculty workshops using the MATLAB software package. Participants in these workshops design computer exercises, projects, and lesson plans for software-based teaching of linear algebra. A selection of these materials has been published as a manual, ATLAST Computer Exercises for Linear Algebra, Prentice Hall, 1997. The ATLAST book is available as a companion volume of this textbook for a nominal fee when the two books are bundled together for class orders. The collection of software tools (M-files) developed to accompany the ATLAST book may be downloaded from their web page:

The web page also includes a collection of software based lesson plans.

The Instructor Solutions Manual contains solutions to all even-numbered exercises, both numerical and theoretical.