Lecture 1: Introduction

Lecture series based on the text:

Essential MATLAB
for Engineers and Scientists, 6th Edition
By
Brian H. Hahn & Daniel T. Valentine
-------------------------------------------------
Lectures by Daniel T. Valentine

2016 Daniel Valentine. All rights reserved. Published by

Elsevier.
 Objectives of course
Learn how to examine, explore and evaluate MATLAB.

Learn how to do technical computing with MATLAB.

Learn how to design programs to solve technical

problems via structure plan (i.e., a design
methodology).

Learn to formulate algorithms for the steps of the

structure plan.

Learn how to translate the steps into computer

programs to solve engineering and scientific problems.
 Objective of this lecture
Providean overview of some of the
features of MATLAB as a way to begin
your:
Evaluation of this technical computing tool.
Training in the art of computer
programming.
Learning to use MATLAB as a notepad for
mathematical computations that arise in
engineering and science courses.
MATLAB desktop

Command Window
Workspace Window
Command History
Window

Current Directory
Window
 Command Window
The Command Window in the center is the main
panel where you interact with MATLAB.
You key (or type) and <Enter> commands after
the prompt >>; MATLAB executes the
commands and displays results (if requested).
Some commonly used tools and commands:
(up arrow) returns last command input, can be
repeated
clc clears the screen
whos shows list of variables
clear clears variables
 Evaluation of MATLAB
HANDS-ON with MATLAB
Type
>> 2+3 <Enter>
into the Command Window
>> clc <Enter>
>> whos <Enter>
Throughout the lecture, yellow text
indicates what you should type into
MATLAB.
 Command History Window
The Command History Window logs all of the
commands you enter in MATLAB.
It should have logged 2+3.
Use the Command History Window to reenter
2+3 in the command window (use copy-and-
paste or double click on 2+3).
This is useful to retrieve past commands.
Use Shift key to select multiple lines.
 Arithmetic with MATLAB
Let us explore by doing exercises:

>> 32 <Enter>
>> 3*2 <Enter>
>> 3/2 <Enter>
>> 3\2 <Enter>
>> 3^2 <Enter>
>> 2/0 <Enter>
>> 0/2 <Enter>
>> 3*Inf <Enter>
 Algebraic-numeric
computations
Let us explore by doing exercises:
>> a = 3 <Enter>
>> b = 2 <Enter>
>> a b <Enter>
>> a / b <Enter>
>> a^2 <Enter>
>> c = a * b <Enter>
>> d = c^(b+1) <Enter>
>> who
 Hiding Output with ;
Let us explore by doing exercises:
>> clear; clc <Enter>
>> whos <Enter>
>> a = 3; <Enter>
>> b = 2; <Enter>
>> c = a * b; <Enter>
>> d = c^(b+1); <Enter>
>> who <Enter>
>> % a, b, c, d are in workspace<Enter>
>> a, b, c, d <Enter>
 Plot y versus x
Introduction to plotting & displaying data:
>> clear; clc <Enter>
>> x = 0:0.1:1; <Enter>
>> y = x.^2; <Enter>
>> whos <Enter>
>> plot(x,y,x,y,o) <Enter>
>> disp(' '),disp('...... x ........ y .....'),disp([x y']) <Enter>
>> x <Enter>
>> y <Enter>
>> % x and y are 1-by-11 arrays of numbers!
 Write a Simple Program
Consider computing the volume of a cone:
Volume = (pi.*r.^2.*h)./3
radius = 6 inches
height = 12 inches

In the command window key in:

>> clear; clc <Enter>
>> r = 6 <Enter>
>> h = 12 <Enter>
>> v = (pi.*r.^2.*h)./3 <Enter>
>> whos <Enter>
 Editor & M-Files
An M-file in MATLAB is analogous to a txt-
file in Microsoft Notepad.
An M-file is created in MATLAB text editor.
M-files:
You can save your programs (i.e., list of
executable commands) as M-files.
You can reopen and modify your program.
They are useful for debugging (correcting
errors) as you develop your programs (your
technical computing tools).
 Comments in programs
Every time you write a program to be saved, it is
helpful for you to comment (i.e., describe) it well.
To insert a comment on a line in the editor or in
the Command Window, use the comment
operator %, then type your comment.
MATLAB:
will not run lines that begin with the comment operator
(in the editor comments appear in green).
Comments
Comments allow you (and others) to more easily read
and understand your program.
When your lines of code are easy to understand, your
code will be easier to use later.
 Art of well-written code
A well-written program
is like literature; it
contains comments explaining:
what your program requires as input.
what the variables in the program represent.
what your program computes and displays.
It is useful for you to add a set of header
comments that include the name of the
program, your name (as the programmer),
and the date the program was created or
modified.
 Saving code in an M-File
Open the editor by:
Entering the command edit in the command window.
Or click the New Script icon located at the left most
side of the toolbar.
Now enter the lines of code to find the volume of a cone:
rr = 4
h = 12
v = (pi.*r.^2.*h)./3
REMARK: If you save it, add header comments and comments
explaining what the program does.
After you have typed in the code, save it as cone.m.
This is cone.m in the editor
 Execute an M-file as a Command
Now execute (or run) the program by pushing F5,
or by typing on the command line
>> cone <Enter>
or by clicking the run button. (Note that the run button looks
like a green arrowhead pointing to the right in the Editor toolbar.)
If you entered the code as written on the previous
slide you will get an error!
What went wrong?
Repair your program (Change rr = 4 to r = 4.), save it, and
run it again.
Now change the height to 24, save and run your
program again (clicking the run button saves and
executes your code).
 Summary
MATLAB can be used like a hand calculator to
do arithmetic.
You can define (or assign) variables with
numbers and expressions to do calculations as
illustrated by the volume-of-cone example.
The advantage of saving programs as M-files is
that you open it, make changes and/or execute it
again without having to type it all over again.
This concludes our overview of MATLAB and a
taste of things to come!