Matlab Information
We will use Matlab for most of the computing that we do in this course. Matlab is by far the best environment for experimentation in numerical computing. Although by itself it is not the most efficient choice for large-scale computing, it can be used to call compiled C and Fortran routines and experiment with the results. Matlab is a product of The Mathworks
You can order your own copy of Matlab for $99 (students only) or you can use Matlab on the Courant Sparcstation network (dial in from home using a PPP connection.)

Try out A Free Matlab Online Tutorial or Another Tuturial or look for others by a web search.
Local Matlab Documentation
An outdated but still useful Introductory Matlab Primer (3rd and last edition, postscript file)
There are many books on Matlab, but probably the best is the brand new Matlab Guide, by Higham and Higham

C Information
C is the lingua franca of computing. You will learn how to call the BLAS from C and how to call C routines from Matlab using the MEX interface. Even if you are not a C programmer, this is a good time to learn a little C. a HREF="programs/info.html"> More information.

Fortran Information
Fortran is traditionally the language of numerical computing and is no longer the dinosaur it used to be. It's still widely used in scientific applications. Fortran 90 supports vector operations and dynamic allocation and looks a lot like Matlab. But the updated versions of Fortran 77 are fine for most purposes, especially when using the BLAS. Fortran routines can be called from Matlab using the MEX interface. More information. You don't need to use Fortran in this course, but it's an alternative to using C.

Java Information
Java is becoming a popular choice for numerical computing, but the strict language requirements make it difficult to get good performance. See Java Numerics for more information. Java methods can be called directly from Matlab, without the complications of the MEX interface, but the Java interface is still under development while the MEX interface has stabilized and is well documented. You don't need to use Java in this course, but it's an alternative to using C.