MATLAB Zero to Hero Lecture by Phil Parisi

Introduction to MATLAB

• MATLAB is a programming language & software for data analysis, scientific computing, and visualization.
• Widely used in academia and industry.

MATLAB IDE

• The main interface where all MATLAB programming occurs is the MATLAB Integrated Developing Environment (IDE).
• Command Window: Serves as a powerful calculator for quick computations.
  • Examples: 7 + 8 = 16, sqrt(225) = 15
• Workspace: Shows active variables and their values.
  • Variables like ans store results of expressions.
  • Clearing command window: clc
  • Clearing workspace variables: clear vars

Creating and Using Variables

• Create variables with meaningful names: x = 10, y = 20.
• Use variables for calculations: x + y = 30
• Suppress output with a semicolon ;.
• Use who to view active variables and their types (e.g., double, char, string).

Data Types in MATLAB

• Double: Default numeric type.
• Char: Character type, created using single quotes.
• String: Defined with double quotes.
• MATLAB primarily deals with doubles, chars, and strings.

Operators and Expressions

• Basic operators: +, -, *, /, ^ (power), sqrt().
• Element-wise operations use a dot before the operator, e.g., .^.

MATLAB Programming Basics

• Use scripts to save and run multiple lines of code.
• Creating scripts: Use the "New Script" button in the toolbar.
  • Scripts allow executing multiple commands collectively.
• Comments: Use % for comments, helpful for documentation.

Vectors and Matrices

• Vectors (arrays): Defined using colons : or linspace().
• Matrices: Use semicolons ; to define rows.
• Transposing: Use ' e.g., x' for transpose.
• Various functions for matrix creation: zeros(), ones(), eye() for identity matrices.

Indexing and Modifying Matrices

• Access elements using row and column indices, e.g., matrix(row, col).
• Modify matrix elements and dimensions using indexing.

Plotting in MATLAB

• Basic Plotting: plot(x, y) to visualize data.
• Customize plots with xlabel(), ylabel(), title(), legend(), and grid on.
• Hold on: Superimposes multiple plots.
• Figure Manipulation: Use figure, subplot() for multiple plots.

Functions and Logic

• MATLAB Functions: Use parentheses to input arguments.
• Help and Documentation: Use help or doc for function documentation.
• Logical Operations: ==, >, <, & (and), | (or).
• Create custom functions for reusable code.

Control Structures

• If Statements: Conditional execution of code blocks.
• For Loops: Repeat a block of code a specific number of times.
• While Loops: Repeat until a condition is false.
• Nested Structures: Utilize nested if-statements and loops for complex logic.

Performance Optimization

• Vectorization: Prefer vector operations over loops for better performance.
• Tick and Tock: Measure execution time to optimize code.

Advanced Topic: Custom Functions

• Create custom functions in separate .m files.
• Define input and output parameters to modularize code.

Conclusion

• MATLAB is a powerful tool for computation and visualization.
• Continuous practice and exploration of specific topics will enhance proficiency.
• Use online resources and MATLAB's documentation for further learning.

Miscellaneous

• Stay organized with variable naming conventions (e.g., camelCase, underscores).
• File naming must start with a letter and contain only letters, numbers, and underscores.