Matlab For Dummies

436 Pages·2015·8.2 MB·english

by  Jim Sizemore

MATLAB®

MATLAB®
by Jim Sizemore
and John Paul Mueller
MATLAB® For Dummies®
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2014940494
ISBN: 978-1-118-882010-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-82003-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-82434-4 (ebk)
Manufactured in the United States of America
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction ................................................................ 1
Part I: Getting Started With MATLAB............................ 5
Chapter 1: Introducing MATLAB and Its Many Uses .....................................................7
Chapter 2: Starting Your Copy of MATLAB ..................................................................19
Chapter 3: Interacting with MATLAB ............................................................................37
Chapter 4: Starting, Storing, and Saving MATLAB Files ..............................................59
Part II: Manipulating and Plotting Data in MATLAB .... 79
Chapter 5: Embracing Vectors, Matrices, and Higher Dimensions ...........................81
Chapter 6: Understanding Plotting Basics ..................................................................115
Chapter 7: Using Advanced Plotting Features............................................................135
Part III: Streamlining MATLAB ................................. 151
Chapter 8: Automating Your Work ..............................................................................153
Chapter 9: Expanding MATLAB’s Power with Functions ..........................................171
Chapter 10: Adding Structure to Your Scripts ...........................................................193
Part IV: Employing Advanced MATLAB Techniques..... 213
Chapter 11: Importing and Exporting Data .................................................................215
Chapter 12: Printing and Publishing Your Work ........................................................233
Chapter 13: Recovering from Mistakes .......................................................................257
Part V: Specific MATLAB Applications ...................... 277
Chapter 14: Solving Equations and Finding Roots .....................................................279
Chapter 15: Performing Analysis .................................................................................307
Chapter 16: Creating Super Plots .................................................................................319
Part VI: The Part of Tens .......................................... 351
Chapter 17: Top Ten Uses of MATLAB ........................................................................353
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Make a Living Using MATLAB ...........................................361
Appendix A: MATL AB Functions .................................................................................367
Appendix B: MATLAB’s Plotting Routines ..................................................................377
Index ...................................................................... 385

Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................. 1
About This Book ..............................................................................................1
Foolish Assumptions .......................................................................................2
Icons Used in This Book .................................................................................3
Beyond the Book .............................................................................................3
Where to Go from Here ...................................................................................4
Part I: Getting Started With MATLAB ............................ 5
Chapter 1: Introducing MATLAB and Its Many Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Putting MATLAB in Its Place ..........................................................................8
Understanding how MATLAB relates to a Turing machine ..............8
Using MATLAB as more than a calculator ........................................10
Determining why you need MATLAB ................................................11
Discovering Who Uses MATLAB for Real-World Tasks ............................13
Knowing How to Get the Most from MATLAB ...........................................14
Getting the basic computer skills ......................................................15
Defining the math requirements ........................................................15
Applying what you know about other procedural languages ........16
Understanding how this book will help you .....................................16
Getting Over the Learning Curve .................................................................17
Chapter 2: Starting Your Copy of MATLAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Installing MATLAB .........................................................................................19
Discovering which platforms MATLAB supports ............................19
Getting your copy of MATLAB ...........................................................20
Performing the installation .................................................................21
Activating the product ........................................................................21
Meeting the MATLAB Interface ....................................................................22
Starting MATLAB for the first time ....................................................22
Employing the Command window .....................................................24
Using the Current Folder toolbar .......................................................27
Viewing the Current Folder window ..................................................28
Changing the MATLAB layout ............................................................33
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MATLAB For Dummies
Chapter 3: Interacting with MATLAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Using MATLAB as a Calculator ....................................................................38
Entering information at the prompt ..................................................38
Entering a formula ...............................................................................40
Copying and pasting formulas ...........................................................41
Changing the Command window formatting ....................................42
Suppressing Command window output ............................................44
Understanding the MATLAB Math Syntax ..................................................44
Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing ................................45
Working with exponents .....................................................................47
Organizing Your Storage Locker ..................................................................48
Using ans — the default storage locker ............................................48
Creating your own storage lockers....................................................48
Operating MATLAB as More Than a Calculator ........................................50
Learning the truth ................................................................................50
Using the built-in functions ................................................................52
Accessing the function browser ........................................................52
Recovering from Mistakes ............................................................................54
Understanding the MATLAB error messages ...................................54
Stopping MATLAB when it hangs ......................................................55
Getting Help ....................................................................................................55
Exploring the documentation .............................................................56
Working through the examples ..........................................................56
Relying on peer support .....................................................................57
Obtaining training ................................................................................57
Requesting support from MathWorks ...............................................58
Contacting the authors .......................................................................58
Chapter 4: Starting, Storing, and Saving MATLAB Files . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Examining MATLAB’s File Structure ...........................................................60
Understanding the MATLAB files and what they do .......................60
Exploring folders with the GUI ...........................................................61
Exploring folders with commands .....................................................65
Working with files in MATLAB ...........................................................69
Accessing and Sharing MATLAB Files .........................................................72
Opening .................................................................................................72
Importing ..............................................................................................73
Exporting ...............................................................................................75
Saving Your Work ..........................................................................................76
Saving variables with the GUI .............................................................76
Saving variables using commands .....................................................77
Saving commands with the GUI .........................................................77
Saving commands using commands .................................................77