This textbook is an introduction to Scientific Computing, in which several numerical methods for the computer-based solution of certain classes of mathematical problems are illustrated. The authors show how to compute the zeros, the extrema, and the integrals of continuous functions, solve linear systems, approximate functions using polynomials and construct accurate approximations for the solution of ordinary and partial differential equations. To make the format concrete and appealing, the programming environments Matlab and Octave are adopted as faithful companions. The book contains the solutions to several problems posed in exercises and examples, often originating from important applications. At the end of each chapter, a specific section is devoted to subjects which were not addressed in the book and contains bibliographical references for a more comprehensive treatment of the material.