MATLAB is used extensively in engineering schools worldwide. It’s numeric foundation, algorithm development and data analysis tools, and domain specific add-ons for control system design and signal processing make it a preferred tool for teaching and learning engineering concepts. Symbolic Math Toolbox extends the numeric capabilities of MATLAB with tools for analytical modeling and calculation management. Developing analytical models helps engineering students better understand the behavior of the systems they study, since the underlying parameters driving system behavior are transparent.

This lecture will use specific application examples to show how symbolic math could be in System Dynamics courses, for plant modeling tasks, and Aerospace Design courses, for aircraft modeling tasks. Emphasis will be placed on how symbolic math complements numeric computations.