Introduction to Matlab

Makhdoom Ibad Ullah Hashmi

MATrix LABoratory
 www.mathworks.com
 Advantages of MATLAB
 Ease of use
 Platform independence
 Predefined functions
 Plotting
 Disadvantages of MATLAB
 Can be slow
 Expensive
 Matlab environment

 Matlab construction
 Core functionality as compiled C-code, m-files
 Additional functionality in toolboxes (m-files)

 Today: Matlab programming (construct own m-files)

Sig. Proc Contr. Syst.

User defined

C-kernel Core m-files

Matlab Desktop

Launch Pad

Command
Window

History
Matlab Desktop

Workspace

Command
Window

Current
DIrectory
Matlab Help
Matlab Editor

Color keyed
text with auto
indents

tabbed sheets for other

files being edited
MATLAB Basics

 A program can be input

 command by command using the command line (lines starting with “»” on the MATLAB desktop)
 as a series of commands using a file
(a special file called M-file)

 If a command is followed by a semicolon (;), result of the computation is not shown on the
command window
 Data Types
 All numbers are double precision
 Text is stored as arrays of characters
 You don’t have to declare the type of data (defined when running)
 MATLAB is case-sensitive!!!
Data Types
Variables

 Variable is a name given to a reserved location in memory

 class_code = 111;
 number_of_students = 65;
 name = ‘Jafar Muhammadi';
 radius = 5;
 area = pi * radius^2;

 Use meaningful names for variables

 MATLAB variable names
 must begin with a letter
 can contain any combination of letters, numbers and underscore (_)
 must be unique in the first 31 characters

 MATLAB is case sensitive: “name”, “Name” and “NAME” are considered different variables
 Never use a variable with the same name as a MATLAB command
 Naming convention: use lowercase letters
 Variables
 Initialization using assignment statements
 x=5
x=
5
 y=x+1
y=
6
 vector = [ 1 2 3 4 ]
vector =
1 2 3 4
 matrix = [ 1 2 3; 4 5 6 ]
matrix =
1 2 3
4 5 6
 matrix = [ 1 2 3; 4 5 ]
??? Error
 a = [ 5 (2+4) ]
a=
5 6
Variables

 Initialization using shortcut statements

 colon operator  first:increment:last
 x = 1:2:10
x=
1 3 5 7 9
 y = 0:0.1:0.5
y=
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
 Variables
 transpose operator  '
 u = [ 1:3 ]'
u=
1
2
3
 v=[uu]
v=
1 1
2 2
3 3
 v = [ u'; u' ]
v=
1 2 3
1 2 3
Variables
 Initialization using built-in functions
 zeros()
 x = zeros(2)
x=
0 0
0 0
 z = zeros(2,3)
z=
0 0 0
0 0 0

 ones(), size(), length()

 y = zeros(1,4)
y=
0 0 0 0

 t = zeros( size(z) )
t=
0 0 0
0 0 0
Matrices

 Some useful commands:

zeros(n) Returns a n X n matrix of zeros

zeros(m,n) Returns a m X n matrix of zeros

ones(n) Returns a n X n matrix of ones

ones(m,n) Returns a m X n matrix of ones

For a m X n matrix A, returns the row vector [m,n] containing
size(A)
the number of rows and columns in matrix
length(A) Returns the larger of the number of rows or columns in A
 Variables
 Initialization using keyboard input
 input()
 value = input( 'Enter an input value: ' )
Enter an input value: 1.25
value =
1.2500
 name = input( 'What is your name: ', 's' )
What is your name: Selim
name =
Selim
 Matrices, Colon Operator

 Creating new matrices from an existing matrix

C = [1,2,5; -1,0,1; 3,2,-1; 0,1,4]

F = C(:, 2:3) = [2,5; 0,1; 2,-1; 1,4]

 1 2 5 2 5
 1 0 
1 0 
1
C F 
 3 2  1 2  1
   
 0 1 4 1 4
 Matrices, Colon Operator

 Creating new matrices from an existing matrix

C = [1,2,5; -1,0,1; 3,2,-1; 0,1,4]

E = C(2:3,:) = [-1 0 1; 3 2 -1]

 1 2 5
 1 0 
1  1 0 1
C  E 
 3 2  1  3 2  1
 
 0 1 4
 Matrices, Colon Operator

 Creating new matrices from an existing matrix

C = [1,2,5; -1,0,1; 3,2,-1; 0,1,4]

G = C(3:4,1:2) = [3,2; 0,1]

 1 2 5
 1 
0 1 3 2
C G 
 3 2  1 0 1
 
 0 1 4
 Matrices, Colon Operator
 Variable_name = a:step:b
time = 0.0:0.5:2.5
time = [0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5]

 Negative increment
values = 10:-1:2
values = [10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2]
Subarrays

 Array indices start from 1

 x = [ -2 0 9 1 4 ];
 x(2)
ans =
 x(8)
0
??? Error
 x(4)
ans =
 x(-1)
1
??? Error
Subarrays

 y = [ 1 2 3; 4 5 6 ];
 y(1,2)
ans =
2
 y(2,1)
ans =
4
 y(2)
ans =
4 (column major order)
Subarrays

 y = [ 1 2 3; 4 5 6 ];
 y(1,:)
ans =  y(1,2:end)
1 2 3 ans =
 y(:,2) 2 3

ans =  y(:,2:end)
2 ans =
5 2 3
 y(2,1:2) 5 6

ans =
4 5
Subarrays

 x = [ -2 0 9 1 4 ];
 x(2) = 5
x=
-2 5 9 1 4
 x(4) = x(1)
x=
-2 5 9 -2 4
 x(8) = -1
x=
-2 5 9 -2 4 0 0 -1
Subarrays

 y = [ 1 2 3; 4 5 6 ];
 y(1,2) = -5
y=
1 -5 3
4 5 6
 y(2,1) = 0
y=
1 -5 3
0 5 6
 y(1,2:end) = [ -1 9 ]
y=
1 -1 9
0 5 6
Subarrays

 y = [ 1 2 3; 4 5 6; 7 8 9 ];
 y(2:end,2:end) = 0
y=
1 2 3
4 0 0
7 0 0
 y(2:end,2:end) = [ -1 5 ]
??? Error
 y(2,[1 3]) = -2
y=
1 2 3
-2 0 -2
7 0 0
 Special Values
 pi:  value up to 15 significant digits
 i, j: sqrt(-1)
 Inf: infinity (such as division by 0)
 NaN: Not-a-Number (such as division of zero by zero)
 clock: current date and time as a vector
 date: current date as a string (e.g. 16-Feb-2004)
 eps: epsilon
 ans: default variable for answers
 Displaying Data
 The disp( array ) function
 disp( 'Hello' );
Hello
 disp(5);
5
 disp( [ 'Bilkent ' 'University' ] );
Bilkent University
 name = 'Selim'; disp( [ 'Hello ' name ] );
Hello Selim
Displaying Data
 The num2str() and int2str() functions
 d = [ num2str(16) '-Feb-' num2str(2004) ];
 disp(d);
16-Feb-2004
 x = 23.11;
 disp( [ 'answer = ' num2str(x) ] );
answer = 23.11
 disp( [ 'answer = ' int2str(x) ] );
answer = 23
Displaying Data

 The fprintf( format, data ) function

 %d integer
 %f floating point format
 %e exponential format
 \nnew line character
 \t tab character
Displaying Data
 fprintf( 'Result is %d', 3 );
Result is 3
 fprintf( 'Area of a circle with radius %d is %f', 3, pi*3^2 );
Area of a circle with radius 3 is 28.274334
 x = 5;
 fprintf( 'x = %3d', x );
x= 5
 x = pi;
 fprintf( 'x = %0.2f', x );
x = 3.14
 fprintf( 'x = %6.2f', x );
x = 3.14
 fprintf( 'x = %d\ny = %d\n', 3, 13 );
x=3
y = 13
 Data Files
 save filename var1 var2 …
 save homework.mat x y  binary
 save x.dat x –ascii  ascii

 load filename
 load filename.mat  binary
 load x.dat –ascii  ascii
MATLAB Basics: Scalar Operations

 variable_name = expression;
 addition a+b  a+b
 subtraction a-b  a-b
 multiplication a x b  a*b
 division a/b  a/b
 exponent ab  a^b
MATLAB Basics: Scalar Operations

 x=3*2+6/2
 x=?
 Processing order of operations is important
 parenthesis (starting from the innermost)
 exponentials (left to right)
 multiplications and divisions (left to right)
 additions and subtractions (left to right)
 x=3*2+6/2
 x=9
Arithmetic Operators
Operator Description
+ Addition

- Subtraction

.* Multiplication (element wise)

./ Right division (element wise)

.\ Left division (element wise)

+ Unary plus

- Unary minus

: Colon operator

.^ Power (element wise)

' Transpose

* Matrix multiplication

/ Matrix right division

\ Matrix left division

^ Matrix power
Relational and Logical Operators

Operator Description
& Returns 1 for every element location that is true (nonzero) in both arrays, and 0 for all
other elements.
| Returns 1 for every element location that is true (nonzero) in either one or the other, or
both, arrays and 0 for all other elements.
~ Complements each element of input array, A.

< Less than

<= Less than or equal to

> Greater than

>= Greater than or equal to

== Equal to

~= Not equal to
Matrices

 More commands:

Transpose B=A’
eye(n) -> returns an n X n identity matrix
Identity Matrix eye(m,n) -> returns an m X n matrix with ones on the main diagonal
and zeros elsewhere
Addition and Subtraction C =A +B C =A - B

Scalar Multiplication B = α A, where α is a scalar

Matrix Multiplication C=A*B

Matrix Inverse B = inv(A), A must be a square matrix in this case

Matrix powers B = A * A , A must be a square matrix

Determinant det(A), A must be a square matrix

 MATLAB Basics: Built-in Functions
 result = function_name( input );
 abs, sign
 log, log10, log2
 exp
 sqrt
 sin, cos, tan
 asin, acos, atan
 max, min
 round, floor, ceil, fix
 mod, rem
 help elfun
MATLAB Basics: Useful Commands

 help command  Online help

 lookfor keyword  Lists related commands
 which  Version and location info
 clear  Clears the workspace
 clc  Clears the command window
 diary filename  Sends output to file
 diary on/off  Turns diary on/off
 who, whos  Lists content of the workspace
 more on/off  Enables/disables paged output
 Ctrl+c  Aborts operation
 …  Continuation
 %  Comments
 The programming environment

 Matlab can’t tell if identifier is variable or function

 >> z=theta;

 Matlab searches for identifier in the following order

1. variable in current workspace
2. built-in variable
3. built-in m-file
4. m-file in current directory
5. m-file on search path

 Note: m-files can be located in current directory, or in path

Script files

 Script-files contain a sequence of Matlab commands

factscript.m
%FACTSCRIPT – Compute n-factorial, n!=1*2*...*n
y = prod(1:n);

 Executed by typing its name

 >> factscript
 Operates on variables in global workspace
 Variable n must exist in workspace
 Variable y is created (or over-written)

 Use comment lines (starting with %) to document file!

Functions
Functions describe subprograms


 Take inputs, generate outputs

 Have local variables (invisible in global workspace)

[output_arguments]= function_name(input_arguments)
% Comment lines
<function body>

factfun.m
function [z]=factfun(n)
% FACTFUN – Compute factorial
% Z=FACTFUN(N)
z = prod(1:n);

>> y=factfun(10);
 Scripts or function: when use what?
 Functions
 Take inputs, generate outputs, have internal variables
 Solve general problem for arbitrary parameters

 Scripts
 Operate on global workspace
 Document work, design experiment or test
 Solve a very specific problem once

 Exam: all problems will require you to write functions

facttest.m
% FACTTEST – Test factfun
N=50;
y=factfun(N);
Flow control - selection

 The if-elseif-else construction

if <logical expression>
<commands>
elseif <logical expression>
<commands>
else
<commands>
if height>170
end
disp(’tall’)
elseif height<150
disp(’small’)
else
disp(’average’)
end
 Logical expressions
 Relational operators (compare arrays of same sizes)
 == (equal to) ~= (not equal)
< (less than) <= (less than or equal to)
> (greater than) >= (greater than or equal to)
 Logical operators (combinations of relational operators)
 & (and)
| (or)
~ (not)
 Logical functions
xor
isempty
any if (x>=0) & (x<=10)
all disp(‘x is in range [0,10]’)
else
disp(‘x is out of range’)
end
Flow control repetition

 Repeats a code segment a fixed number of times

for index=<vector>
<statements>
end
The <statements> are executed repeatedly.
At each iteration, the variable index is assigned
a new value from <vector>.

for k=1:12
kfac=prod(1:k);
disp([num2str(k),’ ‘,num2str(kfac)])
end
Example – selection and repetition

fact.m
function y=fact(n)
% FACT – Display factorials of integers 1..n
if nargin < 1
error(’No input argument assigned’)
elseif n < 0
error(’Input must be non-negative’)
elseif abs(n-round(n)) > eps
error(’Input must be an integer’)
end

for k=1:n
kfac=prod(1:k);
disp([num2str(k),’ ’,num2str(kfac)])
y(k)=kfac;
end;
Flow control – conditional repetition

 while-loops
while <logical expression>
<statements>
end

<statements> are executed repeatedly as long as the <logical expression>

evaluates to true

k=1;
while prod(1:k)~=Inf,
k=k+1;
end
disp([‘Largest factorial in Matlab:’,num2str(k-1)]);
Programming tips and tricks
 Programming style has huge influence on program speed!

tic;
slow.m fast.m
X=-250:0.1:250; tic
for ii=1:length(x) x=-250:0.1:250;
if x(ii)>=0, s=sqrt(x);
s(ii)=sqrt(x(ii)); s(x<0)=0;
else toc;
s(ii)=0;
end;
end;
toc

Loops are slow: Replace loops by vector operations!

Memory allocation takes a lot of time: Pre-allocate memory!
Use profile to find code bottlenecks!