Copyright 2010. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Introduction to MATLAB
for Engineers, Third Edition
William J. Palm III
Chapter 1
An Overview of MATLAB

PowerPoint to accompany
The Default MATLAB Desktop, Fig. 1.1-
The Default MATLAB Desktop, Fig. 1.1-
1, page 5
1, page 5
1-1
1-2 1-2
Entering Commands and Expressions
MATA! retains yo"r pre#io"s $eystro$es.
%se the "p-arrow $ey to scroll &ac$ &ac$ thro"gh
the comman's.
(ress the $ey once to see the pre#io"s entry, an'
so on.
%se the 'own-arrow $ey to scroll )orwar'. *'it a
line "sing the le)t- an' right-arrow $eys the
Ba!spae $ey, an' the "e#ete $ey.
(ress the Enter $ey to e+ec"te the comman'.
$a#ar arithmeti operations
Ta&le 1.1,1, page -
1-% 1-%
An Examp#e $ession& 'ages (-)
>> 8/10
ans =
0.8000
>> 5*ans
ans =
4
>> r=8/10
r =
0.8000
>> r
r =
0.8000
>> s=20*r
s =
16
1-* 1-*
Order of preedene
Ta&le 1.1,2, page .
1-+ 1-+
>> 8 + 3*5
ans =
23
>> 8 + (3*5)
ans =
23
>>(8 + 3)*5
ans =
55
>>4^2-12-8/4*2
ans =
0
>>4^2-12-8/(4*2)
ans =
3
1-, 1-,
*+amples o) (rece'ence, (age .
>> 3*4^2 + 5
ans =
53
>>(3*4)^2 + 5
ans =
149
>>27^(1/3) + 32^(0.2)
ans =
5
>>27^(1/3) + 32^0.2
ans =
5
>>27^1/3 + 32^0.2
ans =
11
1-( 1-(
*+amples o) (rece'ence, (age . Contin"e'
Commands for managing the wor! session
Ta&le 1.1,/, (age 12
1-) 1-)
$peia# varia-#es and onstants
Ta&le 1.1,0, (age 10
1-. 1-.
Comp#ex /0m-er Operations& 'ages 1*-1+
The n"m&er c
1
1 1 , 2i is entere' as )ollows2
c1 = 1 2i.
An asteris$ is not nee'e' &etween i or 3 an'
a n"m&er, altho"gh it is re4"ire' with a
#aria&le, s"ch as c2 = 5 i*c1.
!e care)"l. The e+pressions
y = 7/2*i
an'
x = 7/2i
gi#e two 'i))erent res"lts2
y = (7/2)i = 3.5i
an'
x = 7/(2i) = 3.5i.
1-11 1-11
/0meri disp#a2 formats3 Ta&le 1.1,5, (age 15
1-11 1-11
The 6es$top Men"s an' Tool&ar. 7ig"re 1.2-1, page 18
Arra2s
The n"m&ers 0, 0.1, 0.2, 9, 10 can &e assigne' to the
#aria&le " &y typing u = 0:0.1:10.
To comp"te w 1 5 sin u )or u 1 0, 0.1, 0.2, 9, 10, the
session is:

>>u = 0:0.1:10;
>>w = 5*sin(u);
The single line, w = 5*sin(u), comp"te' the )orm"la
w 1 5 sin u 101 times.
1-12 1-12
Arra2 4ndex

>>u(7)
ans =
0.6000
>>w(7)
ans =
2.8232
%se the length )"nction to 'etermine how
many #al"es are in an array.
>>m = length(w)
m =
101
1-1% 1-1%
'o#2nomia# 5oots& 'age 21

To )in' the roots o) x
/
, ;x
2
< 00x , /0 1 0, the session
is
>>a = [1,-7,40,-34];
>>roots(a)
ans =
3.0000 + 5.000i
3.0000 - 5.000i
1.0000
The roots are x 1 1 an' x 1 / = 5i.
1-1* 1-1*
$ome ommon#2 0sed mathematia# f0ntions
Ta&le 1./,1, (age 21
1-1+ 1-1+
>hen yo" type problem1,
1. MATA! )irst chec$s to see i) pro&lem1 is
a #aria&le an' i) so, 'isplays its #al"e.
2. I) not, MATA! then chec$s to see i)
pro&lem1 is one o) its own comman's, an'
e+ec"tes it i) it is.
/. I) not, MATA! then loo$s in the c"rrent
'irectory )or a )ile name' problem1.m
an' e+ec"tes problem1 i) it )in's it.
0. I) not, MATA! then searches the
'irectories in its search path, in or'er,
)or problem1.m an' then e+ec"tes it i)
)o"n'.
1-1, 1-1,
$2stem& diretor2& and fi#e ommands
Ta&le 1./,2,(age 2/
1-1( 1-1(
A graphis window showing a p#ot3 6ig0re 13%-1& page 2*3
1-1) 1-1)
$ome MATLAB p#otting ommands
Ta&le 1./,/, (age 25
1-1. 1-1.
Linear A#ge-rai E70ations& 'age 2,
6x + 12y + 4z = 70
7x 2y + 3z = 5
2x + 8y 9z = 64

>>A = [6,12,4;7,-2,3;2,8,-9];
>>B = [70;5;64];
>>Solution = A\B
Solution =
3
5
-2
The sol"tion is x = 3, y = 5, an' z = 2.
1-21 1-21
?o" can per)orm operations in MATA! in two
ways2
1. In the interacti#e mo'e, in which all
comman's are entere' 'irectly in the
Comman' win'ow, or
2. !y r"nning a MATA! program store' in
script )ile. This type o) )ile contains
MATA! comman's, so r"nning it is
e4"i#alent to typing all the comman's@
one at a time@at the Comman' win'ow
prompt. ?o" can r"n the )ile &y typing its
name at the Comman' win'ow prompt.
1-21 1-21
COMME/T$
The comment sym&ol may &e p"t anywhere in the
line. MATA! ignores e#erything to the right o) the
A sym&ol. 7or e+ample,
>>% This is a comment.
>>x = 2+3 % So is this.
x =
5
Bote that the portion o) the line &e)ore the A sign is
e+ec"te' to comp"te +.
1-22 1-22
The MATLAB Command window with the The MATLAB Command window with the
Editor8"e-0gger open3 6ig0re 13*91& 'age 2) Editor8"e-0gger open3 6ig0re 13*91& 'age 2)
1-2/
Ceep in min' when "sing script )iles2
1. The name o) a script )ile m"st &egin with
a letter, an' may incl"'e 'igits an' the
"n'erscore character, "p to 8/
characters.
2. 6o not gi#e a script )ile the same name
as a #aria&le.
/. 6o not gi#e a script )ile the same name
as a MATA! comman' or )"nction. ?o"
can chec$ to see i) a comman', )"nction
or )ile name alrea'y e+ists &y "sing the
exist comman'.
1-2* 1-2*
"e-0gging $ript 6i#es
(rogram errors "s"ally )all into one o) the
)ollowing categories.
1. Dynta+ errors s"ch as omitting a parenthesis
or comma, or spelling a comman' name
incorrectly. MATA! "s"ally 'etects the
more o&#io"s errors an' 'isplays a message
'escri&ing the error an' its location.
2. *rrors '"e to an incorrect mathematical
proce'"re, calle' runtime errors. Their
occ"rrence o)ten 'epen's on the partic"lar
inp"t 'ata. A common e+ample is 'i#ision &y
Eero.
1-2+ 1-2+
To locate program errors, try the )ollowing2
1. Test yo"r program with a simple #ersion o)
the pro&lem which can &e chec$e' &y han'.
2. 6isplay any interme'iate calc"lations &y
remo#ing semicolons at the en' o)
statements.
/. %se the 'e&"gging )eat"res o) the
*'itorF6e&"gger.
1-2, 1-2,
'rogramming $t2#e
13 Comments section
a. The name o) the program an' any $ey
wor's in the )irst line.
b. The 'ate create', an' the creatorsG names
in the secon' line.
c. The 'e)initions o) the #aria&le names )or
e#ery inp"t an' o"tp"t #aria&le. Incl"'e
'e)initions o) #aria&les "se' in the calc"lations
an' units of measurement for all input and all
output variables!
d. The name o) e#ery "ser-'e)ine' )"nction
calle' &y the program.
1-2( 1-2(
2. Input section Incl"'e inp"t 'ata
an'For the inp"t )"nctions an'
comments )or 'oc"mentation.
3. Calculation section
4. Output section This section might
contain )"nctions )or 'isplaying the
o"tp"t on the screen.
'rogramming $t2#e :ontin0ed;
1-2-
$ome 4np0t8o0tp0t ommands
7rom Ta&le 1.0,1, (age /1
1-2. 1-2.
Examp#e of a $ript 6i#e& 'age %2
(ro&lem2
The spee' v o) a )alling o&3ect 'roppe' with no initial
#elocity is gi#en as a )"nction o) time t &y v 1 gt.
(lot v as a )"nction o) t )or 0 H t H t
final
, where t
final
is the
)inal time entere' &y the "ser.
1-%1 1-%1
Examp#e of a $ript 6i#e :ontin0ed;
% Program falling_speed.m:
% Plots speed of a falling object.
% Created on March 1, 2009 by W. Palm
%
% Input Variable:
% tfinal = final time (in seconds)
%
% Output Variables:
% t = array of times at which speed is
% computed (in seconds)
% v = array of speeds (meters/second)
%
1-/1
Examp#e of a $ript 6i#e :ontin0ed;
% Parameter Value:
g = 9.81; % Acceleration in SI units
%
% Input section:
tfinal = input(Enter final time in
seconds:);
%
1-/2
Examp#e of a $ript 6i#e :ontin0ed;
% Calculation section:
dt = tfinal/500;
% Create an array of 501 time values.
t = 0:dt:tfinal;
% Compute speed values.
v = g*t;
%
% Output section:
Plot(t,v),xlabel(t (s)),ylabel(v m/s))
1-%% 1-%%
<etting =e#p 6rom the Text-oo!
<etting =e#p 6rom the Text-oo!

Thro"gho"t each chapter margin notes i'enti)y where $ey

terms are intro'"ce'.

*ach chapter contains ta&les s"mmariEing the MATA!

comman's intro'"ce' in that chapter.

At the en' o) each chapter is a s"mmary g"i'e to the

comman's co#ere' in that chapter.

Appen'i+ A contains ta&les o) MATA! comman's,

gro"pe' &y category, with the appropriate page
re)erences.

There are )o"r in'e+es. The )irst lists MATA! comman's

an' sym&ols, the secon' lists Dim"lin$ &loc$s, the thir'
lists M"(A6 comman's, an' the )o"rth lists topics.
1-/0
<etting =e#p 6rom MATLAB> <etting =e#p 6rom MATLAB>
The 60ntion Browser after The 60ntion Browser after plot plot has -een se#eted has -een se#eted
:6ig0re 13+-1& page %%; :6ig0re 13+-1& page %%;
1-/5
The MATLAB =e#p Browser The MATLAB =e#p Browser
6ig0re 13+-2& page %* 6ig0re 13+-2& page %*
1-/8
The =e#p /avigator
The =e#p /avigator
6ig3 13+-%& page %+
6ig3 13+-%& page %+
1-/;
MATLAB =e#p 60ntions&
6rom Ta-#e 13+-1& page %)

help funcname: 6isplays in the Comman'

win'ow a 'escription o) the speci)ie' )"nction
funcname.

lookfor topic: oo$s )or the string topic in the

)irst comment line Ithe H1 lineJ o) the H*( te+t
o) all M-)iles )o"n' on MATA!(ATH Iincl"'ing
pri#ate 'irectoriesJ, an' 'isplays the H1 line )or
all )iles in which a match occ"rs.

doc funcname: Kpens the Help !rowser to the

re)erence page )or the speci)ie' )"nction
funcname, pro#i'ing a 'escription, a''itional
remar$s, an' e+amples.
1-/-
$teps in engineering pro-#em so#ving
Ta&le 1.8,1,
(age /.
1-%. 1-%.
$!eth of the dropped-pa!age pro-#em3
7ig"re 1.8,1, page 01
1-*1 1-*1
$teps for deve#oping a omp0ter so#0tion
Ta&le 1.8,2, page 02
1-*1 1-*1
A piston& onneting rod& and ran! for an interna#
om-0stion engine3 7ig"re 1.8,2, 0/
1-*2 1-*2
'#ot of the piston motion vers0s ran! ang#e3
6ig0re 13,9%& page *+
1-*% 1-*%
?e2 Terms with 'age 5eferenes

Arg"ment, - MAT-)iles, 20
Array, 1. Mo'el, /.
Array in'e+, 1. K#erlay plot, 20
ADCII )iles, 21 (ath, 22
Assignment operator, 10 (rece'ence, .
Comman' win'ow, 8 Dcalar, -
Comment, 2; Dcript )ile, 2;
C"rrent 'irectory, 18 Dearch path, 22
6ata )ile, 21 Dession, ;
6ata mar$er, 25 Dtring #aria&le, /1
6e&"gging, 2. Laria&le, ;
6es$top, 5 >or$space, 11
Graphics win'ow, 2/
1-** 1-**
Homewor$ (ro&lem 25, 7ig"re (25, page 50
1-*+ 1-*+
1-*, 1-*,
Homewor$ (ro&lem 2., 7ig"re (2., page 51