print "$last_name;
#     ^

##</code><code>##

my $total_names = "Matthew,Thomas,Peter,Randy,George,Federick";
$total_names =~ /,([^,]+)$/;
print $1 if $1;

##</code><code>##

my $total_names = "Matthew,Thomas,Peter,Randy,George,Federick";
my ($last_name) = $total_names =~ /,([^,]+)$/;
print $last_name if $last_name;

##</code><code>##

my $last_name = ( split /,/, $total_names ) [ -1 ] ;