CPEG201L

MATLAB BUILT-IN FUNCTIONS

Built-in Functions

 MATLAB uses function names consistent with most major programming

languages
 For example:
 sqrt
 sin
 cos
 log

 Function Input can be either scalars or matrices

Using Predefined Functions

 Functions consist of
 Name
 Input argument(s)
 Output

 Some functions require multiple inputs

 For example: Remainder function returns the
remainder in a division problem; the remainder of
10/3, is 1
Using Predefined Functions

 Some functions return multiple results

 size function determines the number of rows and columns

 You can assign names to the output

Nesting Functions

 In-class Demo
Using the Help Feature

 There are functions for almost anything you want to do

 Use the help feature to find out what they are and how to use them
MATLAB Predefined functions

 MATLAB contains a wide array of predefined functions

 Elementary Math Functions
 Trigonometric Functions
 Data Analysis Functions
 Random Numbers
 Complex Numbers
Elementary Math Functions - Common
Computations

 As in most computer languages, log(x) is the syntax for the natural log –
there is no ln function defined in MATLAB
 log(x): natural log
 log10(x): log base 10
 abs(x): absolute value
 sign(x): plus or minus
 exp(x): ex
Elementary Math Functions - Rounding
Functions

 round(x)
 fix(x)
 floor(x)
 ceil(x)
Elementary Math Functions - Discrete
Mathematics

 factor(x) returns a vector containing the prime factors of x

 gcd(x,y) greatest common denominator
 lcm(x,y) lowest common multiple
 rats(x) represent x as a fraction
 factorial(x) factorial function
 nchoosek(n,k) binomial coefficient or all combinations
 primes(x) generate list of prime numbers.
 isprime(x) check if a number is a prime number.
Trigonometric Functions

 sin(x) sine
 cos(x) cosine
 tan(x) tangent
 asin(x) inverse sine
 sinh(x) hyperbolic sine
 asinh(x) inverse hyperbolic sine
 sind(x) sine with degree input
 asind(x) inverse sin with degree output
Data Analysis Functions

 max(x)
 min(x)
 mean(x)
 median(x)
 sum(x)
 prod(x)
 sort(x)
 sortrows(x)
 std(x)
 var(x)
Sorting Values: sort function

 The default is to sort in ascending order

 To sort in descending order, just add the word ‘descend’ in the second
input field
Sorting Values: sort function

 MATLAB is column dominant, so when sort is used with a 2-D matrix, each
column is sorted in ascending order
max and min functions

 When the max function is used with a vector (either a row or a column), it
returns the maximum value in the vector
 When x is a matrix, the max is found for each column
max and min functions

 The max function can also be used to determine where the maximum
occurs
Sorting Values: sortrows function

 The sortrows function allows you to sort entire rows, based on the value in a
specified column.

The default sorting column is #1

Sorting Values: sortrows function

 In this example the matrix is sorted in ascending order, based on the

second column
Sorting Values: sortrows function

 To sort based on descending order, place a negative sign in front of the

column number
Determining Matrix Size

 size(x) number of rows and columns

 length(x) biggest dimension
 numel(x) total number of elements
 Random Numbers

 rand(x) returns an x-by-x matrix of random numbers between 0 and 1

 rand(n,m) returns an n by m matrix of random numbers
 These random numbers are evenly distributed

To generate random numbers between a certain bound:

x = (max - min) . random_number_set + min
Complex Numbers

 complex(x,y)
 real(A)
 imag(A)
 isreal(A)
 conj(A) imaginary
 abs(A)
real
 angle(A)
Special Values and Miscellaneous
Functions

 pi
 i,j
 Inf
 NaN
 clock
 date
 eps
 ans
 Hint: The function i is the most common of these functions to be unintentionally
renamed by MATLAB users