Product Description

This authoritative book guides readers in developing a strong working knowledge of MATLAB to solve a wide range of engineering problems. Since solving these problems usually involves writing relatively short, one-time-use programs, the authors demonstrate how to effectively develop such programs in MATLAB–programs that are compact yet readable, easy to debug, and execute fast. Emphasis is on using MATLAB to obtain solutions to several classes of engineering problems, so technical material is presented in summary form only.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #242455 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 725 pages

From the Inside Flap
PREFACE

The primary goal of this book is to guide the reader in developing a strong working knowledge of MATLAB to solve engineering problems. Typically, solving these problems involves writing relatively short, one-time-use programs. Therefore, in this book we attempt to teach how to effectively develop such programs in MATLAB, ones that are compact, yet readable, are easy to debug, and execute fast.

The first seven chapters of the book are intended for use in a sophomore/junior level class that introduces programming and the use of computer languages in engineering. In the remaining seven chapters we present applications of MATLAB to a wide range of engineering topics. The emphasis of the book is on using MATLAB to obtain solutions to several classes of engineering problems, not the technical subject matter per se. Therefore, the technical material is presented in summary form only and no attempt has been made to present the basic material in each of these topic areas. The book also can be used in the following ways: (1) as a companion book to junior, senior and graduate level textbooks in engineering; (2) as a reference book for obtaining numerical solutions to a wide range of engineering problems, and; (3) as a source of applications of a wide variety of MATLAB solution techniques.

Engineering programming applications are typically used to do the following: (1) analyze a predictive model, such as an algebraic equation, an ordinary or partial differential equation or an approximation to these; (2) obtain statistical inferences from data; (3) visualize a model or data to enhance one's understanding; (4) either verify or obtain an empirical model from experimental results; and (5) monitor/control/analyze external events. In this book all but the last application are addressed.

The presentation of the material in this book is made with the assumption that the reader can employ the engineering approach to problem solving; that is, one that uses approximate mathematical models to predict the response of elements, devices, and systems. This approach also requires that one have a good comprehension of the physical problem so that he or she can tell when the model's results are correct, or at least reasonable. These qualities are an important prerequisite to creating programs that function correctly. The book also assumes that the reader is moderately fluent in calculus and engineering mathematics.

The first seven chapters are devoted to the introduction of MATLAB, where vector and matrix notation and definitions are introduced immediately and their fundamental importance to using MATLAB effectively is demonstrated. Numerous examples and detailed explanations are used to proceed through the material. The scripts and functions used to solve the example problems emphasize the employment of a relatively small number of readable MATLAB expressions to generate primarily graphical presentations of the results. This approach reinforces the importance of the vector/matrix formulations and the advantages of the resulting compactness of the code. Many of the example problems have been selected to illustrate the graphical presentation of data.

The approach used in the first seven chapters is then applied in the remaining seven chapters, each of which presents the application of MATLAB solution methods and toolboxes to classes of problems in the following areas: design of machine elements, dynamics and vibrations, controls, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, optimization, and engineering statistics. The material in these chapters is illustrated by numerous MATLAB solutions to classes of problems, and includes brief discussions of the program listings and their results. Each chapter provides exercises for which many of the solutions require annotated two or three-dimensional figures.

The MATLAB scripts and functions developed throughout the book use the most appropriate MATLAB function to obtain the numerical results and they have been verified to work correctly through version 5.3 (Release 11). We assume that the reader has access to all functions demonstrated. Furthermore, we have tried to keep to a minimum much of the detailed information that is readily available from the on-line help files. However, for a number of frequently used functions and for many functions in the toolboxes we have included a sufficient amount of information so that the reader can clearly determine what equations the functions solve and how the numerical method represented by the function can be used. In addition, several of the chapters use MATLAB's controls, statistics, optimization and partial differential equation toolboxes, thereby extending the traditional range of the types of problems usually examined. Furthermore, we present solution techniques that take advantage of MATLAB's numerical procedures where practical, as opposed to first obtaining algebraic solutions and then programming them.

Several preliminary versions of the book have been used over the last five semesters in the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Maryland, both in an introductory MATLAB course and as companion material in junior and senior level courses in vibrations, controls, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, optimization, solid mechanics, and engineering statistics. The authors have found that with a good working knowledge of MATLAB they could expand the type of realistic engineering problems that could be examined in these classes, and they have frequently marveled at the relative ease with which these solutions could be obtained. We hope that the reader will also reap the rewards of applying MATLAB to determine the solutions to his or her engineering problems.

E. B. Magrab
S. Azarm
B. Balachandran
J. H. Duncan
K. E. Herold
G. C. Walsh

College Park, MD
March 2000

From the Back Cover
This authoritative book guides readers in developing a strong working knowledge of MATLAB to solve a wide range of engineering problems. Since solving these problems usually involves writing relatively short, one-time-use programs, the authors demonstrate how to effectively develop such programs in MATLAB–programs that are compact yet readable, easy to debug, and execute fast. Emphasis is on using MATLAB to obtain solutions to several classes of engineering problems, so technical material is presented in summary form only.

About the Author

EDWARD B. MAGRAB is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park. He has been an active researcher in vibrations, acoustics and, more recently, in the integration of design and manufacturing. Prior to joining the University of Maryland he held several supervisory positions at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), including Chief of the Sound Section, Head of the Robot Metrology Group and Manger of the vertical machining work station in their Automated Manufacturing Research Facility. He went to NISTafter being a Professor in the Department of Mechanics at the Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. He has written numerous journal articles and authored five other books on vibrations, noise control, dynamic measurements and integrated design. Dr. Magrab is a fellow of ASME and a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Maryland.

Customer Reviews

The best
This is one of the best books out there. I not only used it in my vibrations class back as an undergraduate (and I had vibrations with Magrab too!), I have continued to find new ways to use it in the work world today. Dr. Magrab and the others have written a very useful book that definitely relates engineering to this program.

hit the bullseye
This one is really for engineers, it goes over the basics first, subsequently it goes into more details. It has handy examples of mechanics, dynamics...etc. if you are a mechanical or an electrical engineer, and you are a matlab user, this book would mean a lot to you.

Great title for mechanical and other engineering fields
Many 'engineering' matlab books don't live up their titles. They are simply written as general introductions to matlab with a few useless thoughts about engineering thrown in.

In my opinion, a good matlab engineering book focuses less on general tips that you could get anywhere, and more on practical problem solving techniques and methodologies that provide insight into a paticular engineering problem and its solution.

This books succeeds in that respect. Though it gives space to the more general issues of using matlab, it gives ample room to specific engineering problems. I found its information and examples very useful. The topics are focused on mechanical engineering fields, such as vibration and control; however, the math used for such topics are used across engineering and science disciplines. Thus, any scientist or engineer will find this book useful.

The book is written so that engineers at many levels can benefit from it. For example, as a former graduate student, I found the treatments of vibration response analysis insightful. However, an undergraduate or otherwise inexperienced user would benefit from this book as well, because there is alot of general discussion of how to effectively and efficiently use matlab and write m-files.

All in all, I found this book excellent for both its treatment of high level engineering analysis issues and its more general matlab tips and discussion.