Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
You know a conjurer gets no credit when once he has explained his trick; and if I show you too much of my method of working, you will come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all.
Arthur Conan DoyleGetting started with MATLAB
At the risk of being revealed as very ordinary indeed, we would like to show you some useful MATLAB and other numerical conjuring tricks, or at least give you some useful tips on how to get the most out of this powerful tool. We start by assuming that you have successfully installed MATLAB on your personal computer, or that you have found out how to access it on a shared system. The version you have access to might differ from the one we are currently using, but unless you are working with a particularly old version, small differences should not matter; the principles should remain the same.
Learning to use MATLAB is a lot like learning to use a bicycle. It seems very difficult at first, but after a while it comes so naturally that you wonder at those who cannot do it too. Like a bicycle, you learn to use it by doing it. There may be books on the theory of balancing on a bicyle or the gyroscopic physics of wheel motion, but all the reading in the world won't keep you upright without trying it and taking your lumps when you fall.
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