Matlab Seminar :

Introduction to Matlab for

Undergraduate Students
An introduction to MATLAB for
beginner to intermediate level
users

Instructors:

Prof. Dr. Eng. M. A. Eissa m-a-eissa@hotmail.com

Purpose: To teach essential skills necessary for the
acquisition, analysis, and graphical display of data
handeling.

Promote Self Sufficiency and Independence

MATLAB Topics:

1. Introduction to Matlab and its Interface.

2. Fundamentals (Operators).
3. Fundamentals (Flow).
4. Importing Data.
5. Functions and M-Files.
6. Plotting (2D and 3D).
7. Statistical Tools in Matlab.
8. Analysis and Data Structures.
 An Introduction to Matlab and its Interface

A. Why Matlab?
Some Common Uses for Matlab in Different subjects.
B. Understanding the Matlab Environment:
• Navigating the Matlab Desktop
• Commonly used Toolbox Components
• Executing Commands
• Help and Documentation
C. Using Matlab:
• Matrices, Scalars and Arrays
• Useful Commands
• Searching and Indexing
• Saving and Reloading Work
D. Exercises
 Why Matlab?
• Matrix Laboratory
• Created in late 1970’s
• Intended for used in courses in matrix theory,
linear algebra and numerical analysis
• Currently has grown into an interactive system
and high level programming language for general
scientific and technical computation
 Why Matlab?
Common Uses for Matlab in Research
• Data Acquisition
• Multi-platform, Multi Format data importing
• Analysis Tools (Existing, Custom)
• Statistics
• Graphing
• Modeling
 Why Matlab?
Data Acquisition
• A framework for bringing live, measured data into
MATLAB using PC-compatible, plug-in data
acquisition hardware
 Why Matlab?
Multi-platform, Multi Format data importing
• Data can be loaded into Matlab from almost any format and platform
• Binary data files (eg. REX, PLEXON etc.)
• Ascii Text (eg. Eyelink I, II)
• Analog/Digital Data files

PC

100101010

Subject 1 143
UNIX
Subject 2 982
Subject 3 87 …
 Why Matlab?
Analysis Tools
• A Considerable library of analysis tools exist for data
analysis
• Provides a framework for the design, creation, and
implementation of any custom analysis tool imaginable
 Why Matlab?
Statistical Analysis
• A considerable variety of statistical tests available
including:

– Mann-Whitney Test
– Rank Sum Test
– ANOVAs
– Linear Regressions
– Curve Fitting
 Why Matlab?
Graphing
• A Comprehensive array of plotting options
available from 2 to 4 dimensions
• Full control of formatting, axes, and other visual
representational elements
 Why Matlab?
Modeling
• Models of complex dynamic system interactions
can be designed to test experimental data
 Understanding the Matlab
Environment:
Navigating the Matlab Desktop…..
Commonly Used Toolboxes…..
Executing Commands
Basic Calculation Operators:
+ Addition
- Subtraction
* Multiplication
/ Division
^ Exponentiation
 Using Matlab
Solving equations using variables
Expression language
• Expressions typed by the user are interpreted and evaluated by
the Matlab system
• Variables are names used to store values
• Variable names allow stored values to be retrieved for
calculations or permanently saved

>> x = 6 >> x * y
Variable = Expression
x=6 Ans = 12
Or
>> y = 2 >> x / y
Expression
y=2 Ans = 3
>> x + y >> x ^ y
**Variable Names are Case Sensitive!
Ans = 8 Ans = 36
 Using Matlab
Working with Matrices
• Matlab works with essentially only one kind of object, a
rectangular numerical matrix
• A matrix is a collection of numerical values that are organized into
a specific configuration of rows and columns.
• The number of rows and columns can be any number
Example
3 rows and 4 columns define a 3 x 4 matrix having 12 elements

• A scalar is a single number and is represented by a 1 x 1 matrix in

matlab.
• A vector is a one dimensional array of numbers and is represented
by an n x 1 column vector or a 1 x n row vector of n elements
 Using Matlab
Working with Matrices
c = 5.66 or c = [5.66] c is a scalar or a 1 x 1 matrix
x = [ 3.5, 33.22, 24.5 ] x is a row vector or a 1 x 3 matrix
x1 = [ 2
5
3
-1] x1 is column vector or a 4 x 1 matrix
A=[1 2 4
2 -2 2
0 3 5
5 4 9] A is a 4 x 3 matrix
 Using Matlab
Working with Matrices

• Spaces, commas, and semicolons are used to separate elements

of a matrix

• Spaces or commas separate elements of a row

[1 2 3 4] or [1,2,3,4]

• Semicolons separate columns

[1,2,3,4;5,6,7,8;9,8,7,6] = [1 2 3 4
5678
9 8 7 6]
 Using Matlab
Indexing Matrices
• A m x n matrix is defined by the number of m rows and number
of n columns
• An individual element of a matrix can be specified with the notation
A(i,j) or Ai,j for the generalized element, or by A(4,1)=5 for a specific
element.
Example:
>> A = [1 2 4 5;6 3 8 2] A is a 4 x 2 matrix
>> A(1,2)
Ans 6
• The colon operator can be used to index a range of elements
>> A(1:3,2)
Ans 1 2 4
 Using Matlab
Indexing Matrices

• Specific elements of any matrix can be overwritten using the

matrix index
Example:
A = [1 2 4 5
6 3 8 2]

>> A(1,2) = 9
Ans
A = [1 2 4 5
9 3 8 2]
 Using Matlab
Matrix Shortcuts

• The ones and zeros functions can be used to create any m x

n matrices composed entirely of ones or zeros

Example
a = ones(2,3) b = zeros(1,5)
a = [1 1 b = [0 0 0 0 0]
11
1 1]
 Using Matlab
Data Types and Formats

• The semicolon operator determines whether the result of an

expression is displayed

• who lists all of the variables in your matlab workspace

• whos list the variables and describes their matrix size

 Using Matlab
Saving your Work,
To save data to a *.mat file:
Typing ‘save filename’ at the >> prompt and the file
‘filename.mat’ will be saved to the working directory
Select Save from the file pull down menu
To reload a *.mat file
1. Type ‘load filename’ at the >> prompt to load
‘filename.mat’
(ensure the filename is located in the current working
directory)
2. Select Open from the file pull down menu and
manually find the datafile
 Getting Help
Help and Documentation
Digital
1. Updated online help from the Matlab Mathworks website:
www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/techdoc/matlab.html
3. Matlab command prompt function lookup
4. Built in Demo’s
5. Websites
Hard Copy
3. Books, Guides, Reference

The Student Edition of Matlab pub. Mathworks Inc.

 Exercises
Enter the following Matrices in matlab using spaces,
commas, and semicolons to separate rows and
columns:
 1 21 6
A =  5 17 9  B = 1 64 122 78 38 55
 
31 2 7 
D = 65

 4   8 41 166 42
 22  55 28 16 2 
C=   D=  
 16  0 0 1 12  E = a 5 x 9 matrix of 1’s
   
160  25 65 24 19 
 Exercises
Use the who and whos functions to confirm all of the
variables and matrices in the work space are
present and correct
 1 21 6
A =  5 17 9  B = 1 64 122 78 38 55
 
31 2 7 
D = 65

 4   8 41 166 42
 22  55 28 16 2 
C=   D=  
 16  0 0 1 12  E = a 5 x 9 matrix of 1’s
   
160  25 65 24 19 
 Exercises
Change the following elements in each matrix:

 1 76
6 6
A =  5 17 9  B = 1 76 0 38 55
64 122 78
 
31 0
2 7 
D = 65

 4  8 41 166 42
 22  55
76 28 16
0 2
C=   D=  
 76
16  0 0 1 12  E = a 5 x 9 matrix of 1’s
   
160  25 19 
65 24 76