Up to this point we have largely been concerned with
- Deriving linear systems of algebraic equations (from considerations of static equilibrium) and
- The solution of such systems via Gaussian elimination.
In this module we hope to begin to persuade the reader that our tools extend in a natural fashion to the class of dynamic processes. More precisely, we shall argue that
- Matrix Algebra plays a central role in the derivation of mathematical models of dynamical systems and that,
- With the aid of the Laplace transform in an analytical setting or the Backward Euler method in the numerical setting, Gaussian elimination indeed produces the solution.







