Engineering Computation: An Introduction Using Matlab and Excel

This text provides a detailed introduction to the computational techniques, numerical methods, and computational tools used by engineering students. It is aimed at first or second year students, and is intended to provide the theoretical and computational foundation required for advanced study in engineering. The text provides a foundation in computational theory, and an overview of thenumerical methods used by engineering students and practicing engineers. The text focuses on implementation of these computational techniques using two widely-used software packages: MATLAB, which provides a structured programming environment, and Excel, which is a ubiquitous spreadsheet application. Throughout the text, these two softwares are used to demonstrate the computational techniques developed in the text, and their advantages and limitations are described.

Joseph Musto holds a B.S. from Clarkson University, and an M.Eng. and Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, all in mechanical engineering. Before beginning his academic career, Dr. Musto worked in industry in held industrial positions with Brady Corporation (Milwaukee, WI) and Eastman Kodak Company (Rochester, NY). He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Wisconsin. He has been using and teaching solid modeling using SOLIDWORKS since 1998. 

William "Ed" Howard holds a B.S. in civil engineering and an M.S. in engineering mechanics from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Marquette University. He is an associate professor in the East Carolina University Department of Engineering, where he teaches solid modeling, engineering computations, solid mechanics, and composite materials. Before beginning his academic career, Dr. Howard worked in industry for 14 years in design, analysis, and project engineering at Thiokol Corporation (Brigham City, UT), Spaulding Composites Company (Smyrna, TN), and Sta-Rite Industries (Delavan, WI). He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Wisconsin.