Chapter One Getting Started in Matlab

By: Amare Kassaw

Objectives of the Chapter MATLAB is a high level technical computing language and interactive environment for algorithm development, data visualization, data analysis, and numeric computation. Using the MATLAB product, you can solve technical computing problems faster than with traditional programming languages, such as , !!, and "ortran. #ence in this chapter we will understand the basics of Matlab such as$ matrices and arrays, plotting and linear e%uations in Matlab.

raining O!tline Matlab &es'top Basics Matrices and Arrays (lotting in Matlab Liner Algebraic )%uations in Matlab Matlab Tool Bo*es and Bloc' +ets

Matlab "es#top Basics Matlab $nvironment: MATLAB is a high,level technical computing language and interactive environment for$ algorithm development% data vis!ali&ation% data analysis% and n!meric comp!tation' Using the MATLAB product, you can solve technical computing problems faster than with traditional programming languages, such as , !!, and "ortran

 -e can use MATLAB in a wide range of applications, including$ signal and image processing, communications systems, control system modelling and design, (ower system analysis .nstrumentation and measurement, financial modelling and analysis, and computational biology. Add,on toolbo*es /collections of special,purpose MATLAB functions, available separately0 e*tend the MATLAB environment to solve particular classes of problems in these

 (eat!res )ncl!de : MATLAB provides a number of features for

documenting and sharing our wor' such as$ #igh,level language for technical computing &evelopment environment for managing code, files, and data .nteractive tools for iterative e*ploration, design and problem solving Mathematical functions for linear algebra, statistics, "ourier analysis, filtering, optimization, and numerical integration 1,& and 2,& graphics functions for visualizing data Tools for building custom graphical user interfaces "unctions for integrating MATLAB based algorithms with e*ternal applications and languages, such as , !!, "ortran, 3ava and Microsoft.

he Matlab System: the MATLAB system consists of these main parts$

"es#top ools and "evelopment $nvironment: this part of MATLAB is the set of tools and facilities that help us to use and become more productive with MATLAB functions and files. many of these tools are graphical user interfaces. .t includes$ o the MATLAB des'top and ommand -indow, o an editor and debugger, o a code analyzer, o browsers for viewing help, o the wor'space and folders

 Mathematical (!nction *ibrary$ this library is a vast collection of computational algorithms ranging from elementary functions, li'e sum, sine, cosine, and comple* arithmetic, to more sophisticated functions li'e matri* inverse, matri* eigen values, Bessel functions, and fast "ourier transforms. $+ternal )nterfaces: the e*ternal interfaces library allows you to write 4 !! and "ortran programs that interact with MATLAB. .t includes facilities for calling routines from MATLAB /dynamic lin'ing0, for calling MATLAB as a computational engine, and for reading and writing MAT,files.

he Matlab *ang!age: the MATLAB language is a high,level matri*4array language with control flow statements, functions, data structures, input4output, and ob5ect,oriented programming features.

.t allows both 6programming in the small6 to rapidly create %uic' programs we do not intend to reuse. -e can also do 6programming in the large6 to create comple* application programs intended for reuse.

 Matlab Graphics: MATLAB has e*tensive facilities for displaying vectors and matrices as graphs, as well as annotating and printing these graphs. .t includes high,level functions for two,dimensional and three, dimensional data visualization, image processing, animation, and presentation graphics. .t also includes low,level functions that allow you to fully customize the appearance of graphics as well as to build complete graphical user interfaces on your MATLAB applications

 Matlab "oc!mentation : the MATLAB documentation is organized into these main topics$

he Matlab "es#top