MATLAB is a powerful tool for matrix computations that is also user friendly. The fundamentals can be mastered easily, and consequently students are able to begin numerical experiments with only a minimal amount of preparation. Indeed, the material in this appendix, together with the MATLAB help facility, should be enough to get you started.

The MATLAB exercises at the end of each chapter are designed to enhance understanding of linear algebra. The exercises do not assume familiarity with MATLAB. Often specific commands are given to guide the reader through the more complicated MATLAB constructions. Consequently, you should be able to work through all the exercises without resorting to additional MATLAB books or manuals.

Although this appendix summarizes the features of MATLAB that are relevant to an undergraduate course in linear algebra, many other advanced capabilities have not been discussed. References [20] and [29] describe MATLAB in greater detail.