What Is MATLAB?

Kshitij Singh answered . 2024-05-19 18:06:03

Matlab is a programming language similar to other well-known languages such as Java, C#, etc., which comes with its own IDE (that is Integrated Development Environment) and set of libraries. Matlab is an abbreviation of the term “Matrix Laboratory” since it was initially referred to as the matrix programming language. It is a fourth-generation programming language. It was first discovered by Cleve Moler, who at the time was the Chairman of the Computer Science department at the University of New Mexico. His goal was to find an alternative way to perform linear algebra and numerical computation for his students without them having to use Fortran. Later in 1984, Cleve Molar along with Steve Bangart and Jack Little – who recognized Matlab’s commercial potential, found MathWorks. MathWorks released its first official version of Matlab in 1984.

Uses of Matlab

1. Performing numerical linear algebra
2. Numerical computation of Matrices
3. Data analysis and visualization
4. Plotting graphs for larger data sets
5. Developing algorithms
6. Creating interfaces for the user that is the GUI- Graphical User Interface and other applications that is the API – Application Programming Interface.

Understanding Matlab

In simple words, It is an advanced and more sophisticated version of a calculator that can be run on your computer or mobile device. One can use it to perform operations by making use of the command line interface as well as a text editor. It can also be used for writing programs and functions that perform continual tasks. The Matlab IDE contains a “help” icon, which consists of a detailed explanation of its workings. This feature is highly beneficial for people just getting started with Matlab.

How does Matlab make Working so Easy?

It makes your code fast. Your code is compiled using JIT- just-in-time compiler, library calls are optimized and tasks to perform math operations are distributed among the computer’s cores. With Matlab, one can run algorithms in parallel making the execution faster. As compared to Java, the development of algorithms in Matlab is much faster and more robust. It allows you to load data from different sources and visualize them. Matlab’s IDE provides access to interactive applications that enable you to perform computational operations interactively by providing you visuals of these operations. Allowing you to visualize how different algorithms interpret your data. One could also design their own customized applications as well as use applications designed by other Matlab users.

What can you do with Matlab?

Using Matlab you can implement and design different algorithms. You can load data from different sources such as files, databases or the web to analyze your data and visualize it using Matlab visualization application which gives you a wide range of graph plots to choose from. It also makes it easier to work with larger data sets. It as a math product contains a mathematical function library that allows you to perform linear algebra and computation of matrices. This also helps to facilitate data analysis. Creating data models, prototypes, and simulations of data can be achieved. You can also design interfaces for both users as well as other programming applications to make working with Matlab easier.

Advantages

1. It provides the fastest IDE for the mathematical computation of matrices and linear algebra.
2. Contains the best mathematical package libraries to provide support for all fields of mathematics, ranging from simple summation to matrix inversion, etc.
3. It provides multi-threading support and garbage collection to facilitate the parallel execution of algorithms.
4. Its graphics system (Simulink) includes commands for two-dimensional and three-dimensional data visualization, image processing, graphics presentation, and animation providing high-quality visualization of plots and charts.

MATLAB Programming Language

The MATLAB programming language is simpler than most programming languages and easier to learn. It is known as a high-level language because it is closer to the human language than the computer or machine language.

• The semi-colon in MATLAB indicates the end of statement. It can also be used to stop a statement from executing. For example, if you type in x=5+3 without the semicolon and click the Execute button, MATLAB will display the result as x=8. If you type in x=5+3; with the semicolon, and click Execute, MATLAB will not display the result of the computation.
• The % sign is used to indicate that the text following is a comment and not to be interpreted by MATLAB. Programmers use comments to provide explanations about the code they are writing. For example, in MATLAB you can write a=b+5 and the use the % sign to explain that 'a' is the length of a room and 'b' is the width.
• Variable names in MATLAB are case sensitive. For example, if you create a variable 'TempEveryHour' to represent the temperatures every hour, and need it to use this variable in a mathematical formula, you would need to call the variable by its exact same name: TempEveryHour and not TemperatureEveryHour or tempeveryhour.

Not satisfied with the answer ?? ASK NOW