Communications of the ACM

Home/Magazine Archive/October 2015 (Vol. 58, No. 10)/October 2015 (Vol. 58, No. 10)/Abstract

Research highlights

Technical Perspective: Not Just a Matrix Laboratory Anymore

By Cleve Moler
Communications of the ACM, October 2015, Vol. 58 No. 10, Page 90
10.1145/2814849
Comments

View as: Print Mobile App ACM Digital Library In the Digital Edition Share:

I never dreamed MATLAB would become what it is now. It began almost 40 years ago as a simple calculator my students could use for matrix operations. Today, extended by dozens of specialized toolboxes and Simulink (a block diagram environment for simulation and model-based design), MATLAB has evolved into a mature programming language supporting a rich technical computing environment. Its use has spread in sometimes surprising ways far beyond the original context of academia to a wide variety of applications in industry and business. So MATLAB has come a long way from being just a "matrix laboratory."

As chief mathematician for MathWorks, I love to see the mathematics that underlies all these applications and ties everything together. The mathematics may be invisible to the user, since one of the objectives of some tools is to hide the math, but it can be found by poking deeply enough.

No entries found

Log in to Read the Full Article

Sign In

Sign in using your ACM Web Account username and password to access premium content if you are an ACM member, Communications subscriber or Digital Library subscriber.

Need Access?

Please select one of the options below for access to premium content and features.

Create a Web Account

If you are already an ACM member, Communications subscriber, or Digital Library subscriber, please set up a web account to access premium content on this site.

Join the ACM

Become a member to take full advantage of ACM's outstanding computing information resources, networking opportunities, and other benefits.

Subscribe to Communications of the ACM Magazine

Get full access to 50+ years of CACM content and receive the print version of the magazine monthly.

Purchase the Article

Non-members can purchase this article or a copy of the magazine in which it appears.