MATLAB1

An Introduction MATLAB

Introduction

Rather than re-invent the wheel, we'll use some tried and tested tutorial material. The following notes from the Maths department at the University of Dundee are concise, comprehensive, but also easy to read: http://www.maths.dundee.ac.uk/ftp/na-reports/MatlabNotes.pdf

We'll follow those notes, but will add in some more detail of our own in various sections. The section numbers and titles below will mirror those in the Dundee notes.

Matlab as a Calculator

The Golden Ratio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio

phi = (1 + sqrt(5))/2

phi =
    1.6180

format long
phi

phi =
    1.618033988749895

φ2 − φ − 1 = 0

p = [1 -1 -1]
r = roots(p)

r =
  -0.618033988749895
   1.618033988749895

Vectors

separated by either commas or spaces:

v = [ 1 3, sqrt(5)]

v =
1.0000   3.0000   2.2361

length(v)

ans =
3

v = [ 1; 3; sqrt(5)]

c =
    1.0000
    3.0000
    2.2361