Preface Introduction
Welcome to the MATLAB® portion of ENGS 20: Introduction to Scientific Computing!
From the Dartmouth course catalog:
This course introduces concepts and techniques for creating computational solutions to problems in engineering and science. The essentials of computer programming are developed using the C and MATLAB languages, with the goal of enabling the student to use the computer effectively in subsequent courses. Programming topics include problem decomposition, control structures, recursion, arrays and other data structures, file I/O, graphics, and code libraries. Applications will be drawn from numerical solution of ordinary differential equations, root finding, matrix operations, searching and sorting, simulation, and data analysis. Good programming style and computational efficiency are emphasized. Although no previous programming experience is assumed, a significant time commitment is required.
Students planning to pursue the engineering sciences major are advised to take ENGS 20. Students considering the computer science major or majors modified with computer science should take COSC 1 and COSC 10.
This textbook contains the course materials for only the MATLAB portion of the class, which generally is covered within the last three weeks of the class. There are homework assignments, in-class activities, and various other materials in this textbook.
The easiest way to know which sections of this book are assigned for homework, or which will be explored during class, is to use the Table of Contents. There, all the sections are grouped into their respective class or pre-class. Be sure to complete all pre-class sections prior to the subsequent class meeting, as these are homework. On the other hand, if searching for a specific topic, the Index or the embedded search bar at the top of the page will be of use.
In the next chapter, Getting Started, the various tools and features of this book will be introduced and explained.
