Numerical Analysis using Matlab and Spreadsheets + }( T& |8 }- u& I ]& k/ G7 ^This book is written primarily for students/readers who have a good background of high-school ! x4 G9 ^% V* u8 Z+ S6 x2 F0 \# ^algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and the fundamentals of differential and integral calculus.* A% v) _" P! |- d
prior knowledge of differential equations is desirable but not necessary; this topic is reviewed in- z) R' B5 p. z" C2 v
Chapter 5. / O" X: [7 C X7 I+ c+ z! XOne can use Fortran, Pascal, C, or Visual Basic or even a spreadsheet to solve a difficult problem.5 v, {, e' P$ U8 _0 v; \ I7 _* O" r. D
It is the opinion of this author that the best applications programs for solving engineering- o: I% a& l, l. d* m/ t
problems are 1) MATLAB which is capable of performing advanced mathematical and 0 I4 w: k6 y! x# |" d: bengineering computations, and 2) the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet since the versatility offered by1 w1 V4 M. n( L! D J! w
spreadsheets have revolutionized the personal computer industry. We will assume that the reader 6 d6 h) G7 ~6 }' `has no prior knowledge of MATLAB and limited familiarity with Excel.