Lecture 1 - Intro

Programming
Prof. Dr. M. Krauledat
Faculty of Technology and Bionics
1
Introduction
Dr. Matthias Krauledat

Professor for Informatics
Phone: 02821 80673 625

Room: 06.03.027
Email: matthias.krauledat@hochschule-rhein-waal.de
Consultation hour: See moodle profile
2 Programming, M. Krauledat
Schedule
Week Topic of Lecture
1 Organizational Matters, Algorithms, Matlab as a Calculator
2 Vectors and matrices
3 Graphics, File I/O
4 Data types
5 Scripts and Functions
6 Selection Statements
7 Loop Statements
8 Nested Loops
9 Recursion
10 Advanced Graphics
11 Function Handles
12 Symbolic Mathematics
13 Polynomials
14 Debugging
3
Moodle course
Programming WS 23/24
Password: h4ck1n6w523
4
Introduction to Algorithms
In this course, we‘ll have two (concurring)

objectives when using the programming language
MATLAB:
1. Programming Concepts
2. Efficient use of built-in functionality
Let‘s start with the programming concepts!
5
History of algorithms
That guy
(Abu Abd Allah Muhammad

Ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi,
780-835)
published the „Rules of
restoring and equating“
Source: wikimedia commons

…hence the name
„algorithm“.
6
History of algorithms
The study of algorithms was originally a subject in

mathematics.
Early examples of algorithms
• Long division algorithm
• Euclidean Algorithm
Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem: Some
problems cannot be solved by algorithms.
7
Simple algorithms: Experiment 1
I‘ll now show you an image.
Decide whether or not there is a blue square in it!
8
9
Experiment 1
Was there a blue square?

• Just for the record: NO!
• It‘s a square, but it‘s not blue
10
Experiment 1: A possible solution
11
Experiment 1: A different solution
12
Experiment 2
I‘ll now show you some numbers.
At the end, tell me the largest number that you

saw!
13
Experiment 2
31
14
Experiment 2
42
15
Experiment 2
23
16
Experiment 2
1
17
Experiment 2
87
18
Experiment 2
7
19
Experiment 2
END
20
Experiment 2
Now, what was the largest number?

(Just for the record: 87)
What‘s the strategy here?

• Keep track of the „largest number seen so far“
• Only look at the next number in line and compare
to our „largest“ number.
• Exchange „largest number“ if necessary.
21
A possible algorithm
22
What is an algorithm?
Terminology.
Algorithm: A set of steps that defines how a task is
performed
Program: A representation of an algorithm
Programming: The process of developing a
program
Software: Programs and algorithms
Hardware: Equipment
23
Definition (D. Knuth):

An algorithm is a finite set of rules that gives a
sequence of operations for solving a specific type
of problems. It has the following features:
1. Finiteness
2. Definiteness
3. Input
4. Output
5. Effectiveness
24
Checklist for algorithms:
Finiteness* Terminates after a finite number of steps

Definiteness Each step is precisely defined
Input 0 or more quantities given to it
Output 1 or more quantities produced by it
Effectiveness The single steps are sufficiently „basic“
* otherwise, the procedure is sometimes called „computational method“.
25
Example:
Counting the number of people in a room.

1. Start with a count of 0.
2. For each person in the room:
1. Point at the person
2. Add 1 to the count
26
Exercise:
Use the „checklist for algorithms“ to show that
„Counting the number of people in a room“ is really
an algorithm!
Animation
27
Example:
Counting the audience, Version 2.

1. Stand up. Your number is „1“.
2. As long as there is more than 1 person standing:
1. Find 1 other person
2. Replace your numbers by the sum of both your current numbers
3. One of you sits down.
28
Exercise:
Use the „checklist for algorithms“ to show that
„Counting the audience, Version 2“ is really an
algorithm!
29
Example: Socks drawer

Goal: find a matching pair of
socks.
1. Put on one sock randomly
2. Put on a second sock
randomly
3. As long as you don‘t wear
a matching pair:
1. Put back the second sock
2. Put on a new sock randomly
Source: greatspaceorganizing.com
…is this a (good) algorithm?

30
Example:
How do you find the name
of a person in a
telephone book?
Source: www.kba.com
31
Example:
Phonebook, Version 1.
1. Read the first name.
2. As long as you didn‘t
find the correct name:
• Read the next name.
Source: www.kba.com
32
Exercise:
Phonebook, Version 2.
1. Open the phone book
somewhere in the middle and
look for the name.
2. If the wanted name is „larger“:
throw away the lower half of the
book and start over.
3. If the wanted name is „lower“:
throw away the upper half of
the book and start over.
Source: www.kba.com
33
In Computer Science, there

are problems closely
related to the „phonebook
search“:
1. Searching
2. Sorting
OUTLOOK: We’ll do this in

Advanced Programming
(EL/SE students only). Source: www.kba.com
34
Engineering Software
R Statistical Computing:
Free software environment for statistical
computing. Tons of available modules and
software downloads via the integrated
package manager.
http://www.r-project.org
Microsoft Excel:
Calculations with spreadsheets. Easy data
sharing with „non-engineering“ colleagues.
Industry standard on office PCs. Extended
functionalities by macro programming
(Visual Basic).
Engineering Software
Scilab: Free open source software for
numerical computation
www.scilab.org
GNU Octave: Free high-level language,

primarily intended for numerical
computations
http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/inde
x.html
Also: MAPLE, Mathematica, Python,…
What is MATLAB?
• Short for MATrix LABoratory

• Developed by Cleve Moler and Jack Little in the 70s
• Distributed by The Mathworks (www.mathworks.com)
• Student version is available for ~ 70 EUR
• Free for students of HSRW: instructions on the website
What does MATLAB offer?
• Pros:
− Easy to use: on-line documentation, manuals, workspace browser,
extensive demos
− Platform independent: runs on different operating systems
(Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac)
− Extensive library of predefined functions
− Device-independent plotting
− Allows GUI programming for simple software interaction
− Standard in industry and academia
− Standardized interfaces to other software
− Rapid prototyping: no compilation step required
What does MATLAB offer?
… a great range of graphical tools. Ideal for visualization of

measured data (or models) and for further analysis.
What is MATLAB?
• Cons:
− Computation time: interpreted language which runs
slower than compiled language, proper structure of
MATLAB program required
− High cost: 5-10 times more expensive than C or Fortran
compiler
− Software only runs on computers where MATLAB is
installed, “software roll-out” not feasible
Literature
Available in the Library:

Stormy Attaway: Matlab - A practical introduction to
programming and problem solving. Elsevier.
Stephen J. Chapman: Essentials of MATLAB Programming. Cengage Learning. 2009.

William J. Palm: Introduction to MATLAB for Engineers. McGrawHill. 2011.
http://www.mathworks.de/moler/chapters.html
http://www.mathworks.com/academia/student_center/tutorials
… many other tutorials available
Prerequisite: Typing
Programming requires you to write code in an editor. You will have to use
a computer keyboard efficiently!
Learn to type!
Online resources:
• http://www.typingweb.com (Courses and tests, including special
characters and entire phrases)
• http://www.funtotype.com (Games for improving speed and accuracy
of typing)
Homework: Typing
Learn to type using

instructions from
http://www.typingweb.com
• Go to http://funtotype.com
• Play „Keyboard Ninja“ at „Hard Level“
• Use 10 finger system on „all letters“
• Don‘t stop until you break 1000 points!
• Post your highscore on moodle!
Checklist
1. Enroll in a PT group
2. Get your PC Pool badge
3. Complete „Pre-Quiz 1“
4. Download and install Matlab
5. …and learn to type!

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Programming

Prof. Dr. M. Krauledat

Faculty of Technology and Bionics

Dr. Matthias Krauledat

Phone: 02821 80673 625

Consultation hour: See moodle profile

In this course, we‘ll have two (concurring)

Let‘s start with the programming concepts!

(Abu Abd Allah Muhammad

Source: wikimedia commons

The study of algorithms was originally a subject in

I‘ll now show you an image.

Decide whether or not there is a blue square in it!

Was there a blue square?

I‘ll now show you some numbers.

At the end, tell me the largest number that you

Now, what was the largest number?

What‘s the strategy here?

Definition (D. Knuth):

Checklist for algorithms:

Finiteness* Terminates after a finite number of steps

* otherwise, the procedure is sometimes called „computational method“.

Counting the number of people in a room.

Counting the audience, Version 2.

Example: Socks drawer

…is this a (good) algorithm?

In Computer Science, there

OUTLOOK: We’ll do this in

GNU Octave: Free high-level language,

Also: MAPLE, Mathematica, Python,…

• Short for MATrix LABoratory

… a great range of graphical tools. Ideal for visualization of

Available in the Library:

Stephen J. Chapman: Essentials of MATLAB Programming. Cengage Learning. 2009.

… many other tutorials available

Learn to type using

5. …and learn to type!

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