Overview Scilab is a scientific software package that provides a powerful open com- puting environment for engineering and scientific applications. Distributed freely via the Internet since 1994, Scilab is currently being used in educa- tional and industrial environments around the world. This book contains all the information needed to master Scilab: how to use it interactively as a super calculator, how to write programs, how to de- velop complex applications, and more. The authors, Carey Bunks (BBN1), Jean-Philippe Chancelier (ENPC2), Fran ois Delebecque, Claude Gomez, 3 Maurice Goursat, Ramine Nikoukhah, and Serge Steer (INRlA ), have not only been involved in the development of Scilab, but have used it for teach- ing and industrial applications for many years. A CD-ROM, containing the entire Scilab soUrce code as well as a set of precompiled binary executables for a variety of computing platforms, is included with this book. The objective here is to give a thorough description of Scilab's use, in- cluding how to master its environment and programming language, the use of the integrated graphics, the incorporation of user-provided func- tions, and a tour of the numerous application toolboxes. The purpose is to provide students and professionals with an introduction to Scilab and its use in engineering and scientific problem solving. The numerous practical examples serve as a framework that can be used as a basis for developing other applications.