In this appendix we discuss the programming and software package MATLAB. The name MATLAB is an abbreviation for Matrix Laboratory. MATLAB is an extremely powerful package for numerical computing and programming. In MATLAB we can give direct commands, as on a hand calculator, and we can write programs.

MATLAB software exists as a primary application program and a large library of program modules called the standard toolbox. Most of the numerical methods described in this textbook are implemented in one form or another in the toolbox. The MATLAB toolbox contains an extensive library for solving many practical numerical problems, such as root-finding, interpolation, numerical integration and differentiation, solving systems of linear and nonlinear equations, and solving ordinary differential equations.

The MATLAB package also consists of an extensive library of numerical routines, easily accessed two- and three dimensional graphics, and a high level programming format. The ability to quickly implement and modify programs makes MATLAB an appropriate format for exploring and executing the algorithms in this textbook. MATLAB is a mathematical software package based on matrices. It is a highly optimized and extremely reliable system for numerical linear algebra. Many numerical tasks can be concisely expressed in the language of linear algebra.