ML102

MATLAB PROGRAMMING
Flow Control
MATLAB has several flow control constructs but the basic flow control or
command word for solving mathematical and engineering problems are:
if
switch and case
for
while
continue
break
try-catch
return
if: The if statement evaluates a conditional expression and executes a group
of statements when the expression is true. The optional elseif and else
keywords provide for the execution of the alternate groups of statements. An
end keyword, which matches the if, terminates the last group of statements.
Examples:
1. x=input('what is the value of x:');
y = abs(x)
if x >= 0
y = x;
else
y = -x;
end

Note: The second line of this M-file states that the function has a single input x
and a single output y. If the input x is nonnegative, the if statement is
determined by MATLAB to be true. Then the command between the if and
the else statements is executed to set y equal to x, while MATLAB skips the
command between the else and end statements. However, if x is negative,
then MATLAB skips to the else statement and executes the succeeding
command, setting y equal to -x.

2. x=input('what is the value of x:');
y = sign(x)
if x > 0
y = 1;
elseif x == 0
y = 0;
else
y = -1;
end

Note: The elseif statement is useful if there are more than two alternatives
and they can be distinguished by a sequence of true/false tests.
In example 2, if the input x is positive, then the output y is set to 1 and all
commands from the elseif statement to the end statement are skipped. (In
particular, the test in the elseif statement is not performed.) If x is not
positive, then MATLAB skips to the elseif statement and tests to see if x
equals 0. If so, y is set to 0; otherwise y is set to -1. Notice that MATLAB
requires a double equal sign == to test for equality in logic statement; a single
equal sign is reserved for the assignment of values to variables.
Exercises:
i) Write a program to input students score and display the grade.
ii) Write a program that will read the account of a customer and
compute his interest.
Note: The interest rate is 9% for balance that is less than 5,000. The
interest is 12% for balance greater or equal to 5,000 and less than
10,000. The interest is 15% for balance greater than or equal to
10,000.




for: The for statement repeats a group of statements a fixed, predetermined
number of times. A matching end delineates the statements.
Examples:
1) for n=(1:5);
X=2.^n
end
2) s=0;
for n= (1:3);
x=2.^n
s=s+x;
end
Exercises:
1) Write a program that will generate first five terms of the sequence
X(n)=(a^n)/n! and find its sum. (a=2).
2) Write a program to find the sum of the first five terms of the series 1,
1/(2^2), 1/(3^2), 1/(4^2),

Solutions:
Question 1 can solve via two methods, namely, vectorization method and the
loop method. Loop method makes use of for statement but vectorization does
not.
Loop method: loop method:
for N=1:5; S=0;
X=2^N/factorial(N) for N=1:5;
S=0 X=2^N/factorial(N)
for N=1:5; S=S+X
S=S+ X=2^N/factorial(N) end
end
end

Vectorization method:
N=[1:5];
X=(2.^N)./factorial(N)
S=sum(X)

NOTE: for statement does not recognize element by element operations. For
element by element operations, use dot (.) or else it will see it as a matrix. This
means that for scalar multiplication dot (.) is used.