Math is the basis for a good many human endeavors and we often use it without thinking about it. For example, when you go to the store to buy groceries, the clerk who checks you out relies on math to compute how much you owe. Perhaps you also used math as you shopped to ensure that you didn’t go over your budget. In addition, you might have used math to convert one unit of measure to another so that you’d know how much of a particular item to get. In looking at two similar products, you used math to decide which one offered a better deal. You get the idea. It truly isn’t possible to perform even the simplest task without using math in some way.
As the use of math for performing a task becomes more complex, so does the need for precision, accuracy, and an understanding of how math works. MATLAB is a product designed to help people perform complex math tasks more efficiently, accurately, and with less effort. In addition, you obtain a level of precision that only a computer can provide consistently. However, MATLAB itself is somewhat complex, which is why I’m writing MATLAB for Dummies with my coauthor Jim Sizemore (The Fun Physicist who has extensive MATLAB experience). The two of us want to make your MATLAB experience fun and interesting. With this in mind, we’ve put together the following outline:
- Part I: Getting Started With MATLAB
- Chapter 1: Introducing MATLAB and its Many Uses
- Chapter 2: Starting Your Copy of MATLAB
- Chapter 3: Interacting with MATLAB
- Chapter 4: Starting, Storing, and Saving MATLAB Files
- Part II: Manipulating and Plotting Data in MATLAB
- Chapter 5: Embracing Vectors, Matrices, and Higher Dimensions
- Chapter 6: Understanding Plotting Basics
- Chapter 7: Using Advanced Plotting Features
- Part III: Streamlining MATLAB
- Chapter 8: Automating Your Work
- Chapter 9: Expanding MATLAB’s Power with Functions
- Chapter 10: Adding Structure to Your Scripts
- Part IV: Employing Advanced MATLAB Techniques
- Chapter 11: Importing and Exporting Data
- Chapter 12: Printing and Publishing Your Work
- Chapter 13: Recovering from Mistakes
- Part V: Specific MATLAB Applications
- Chapter 14: Solving Equations and Finding Roots
- Chapter 15: Performing Analysis
- Chapter 16: Creating Super Plots
- Part VI: Part of Tens
- Chapter 17: Top Ten Uses of MATLAB
- Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Make a Living Using MATLAB
- Appendix A: MATLAB’s Functions
- Appendix B: MATLAB’s Plotting Routines
- Appendix C: Geometry, Pre-calculus, and Trigonometry Review
As you can see, this book is going to give you a good start in using all the functionality that MATLAB has to offer. Because of the subject matter, I really want to avoid making any errors in book, which is where you come into play. I’m looking for beta readers who use math as part of their profession and think they might be able to benefit from the functionality that MATLAB provides. As a beta reader, you get to see the material as Jim and I write it. Your comments will help us improve the text and make it easier to use.
In consideration of your time and effort, your name will appear in the Acknowledgements (unless you specifically request that we not provide it). You also get to read the book free of charge. Being a beta reader is both fun and educational. If you have any interest in reviewing this book, please contact me at John@JohnMuellerBooks.com and will fill in all the details for you.