caveat:	This is NOT a SciLab manual!
what?	SciLab is a software packet for system control and signal processing developed at INRIA and ENPC. For extensive info, or to download your own version, visit the SciLab web-site .
where?	Computerleerzaal. We will use the Windows version: Start -> Programs -> scilab
why?	In this course, we shall use SciLab for solving linear systems
how?	1. Get your userid/password. 2. Start Windows on a PC in the Computerleerzaal 3. Log-in with your user-id and password 4. Start -> Programs -> scilab
Basics:	SciLab is a command-line driven packet, i.e. you type in a command and SciLab carries it out, reports back some information (errors etc.) - if needed - and waits for the next command. Past commands are accessible using the UP/DOWN arrow keys. The selected command can be edited using LEFT/RIGHT arrow keys, and be then (re)executed by hiting the return-key. Note: Normally, SciLab is verbose, echoing the results. Add a semi-colon (";") after a command to suppress this, try e.g.: theta = %pi/6; and then st = sin(theta).
Info:	On-line information is available using "apropos" or "help". Try apropos help and help apropos, what is the difference?
Objects:	SciLab can manipulate mathematical data types that you are familiar with e.g. scalars, vectors, matrices. Try help matrices or apropos transpose.
Constants:	Some frequently used mathematical constants are available using the "percent" sign, e.g. %pi, %eps .
Operators:	Try help + for the list of all the available operators. Find out about =, +, *, /, ^, and ".*" and more about ' and ;.
Tools:	There are tools to generate useful objects - e.g. special matrices. Try zeros(2,3), ones(3,2), eye(4,4), rand(5,5)
Functions:	To do useful things, e.g.: inv( ) to invert a matrix, det( ) to evaluate a determinant sin( ), cos( ), tan( ) for doing what you expect.