MATLAB Basics Tutorial

Introduction to MATLAB

MATLAB (Matrix Laboratory) is a programming and numeric computing platform used by millions of engineers and scientists to analyze data, develop algorithms, and create models. It's particularly powerful for matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, and creating user interfaces.

This tutorial series will introduce you to the fundamentals of MATLAB programming, with a focus on applications in physics and materials science.

Getting Started with MATLAB

MATLAB is a commercial software package developed by MathWorks. Most universities provide MATLAB licenses to students and faculty.

Accessing MATLAB:

1. Check if your institution provides MATLAB access
2. Download and install MATLAB from your institution's software portal
3. Alternatively, purchase a license from MathWorks
4. For students, consider the more affordable Student Edition

MATLAB Interface:

When you open MATLAB, you'll see several windows:

• Command Window: Where you enter commands
• Workspace: Shows all variables currently in memory
• Current Folder: Files in your current directory
• Editor: For writing and editing scripts

Matrices and Arrays

MATLAB excels at matrix operations, which is why it's so popular in scientific computing. In MATLAB, all variables are matrices or arrays by default.

Basic Matrix Operations:

• Creating matrices
• Matrix indexing
• Matrix arithmetic
• Matrix functions (transpose, inverse, etc.)

MATLAB Scripting

While you can use MATLAB interactively through the Command Window, for complex tasks you'll want to write scripts (.m files) that can be saved and reused.

Scripting Basics:

• Creating and running scripts
• Control structures (if-else, loops)
• Functions and function files
• Debugging techniques

Data Visualization

One of MATLAB's strengths is its powerful visualization capabilities, which are essential for analyzing scientific data.

Visualization Topics:

• 2D plotting
• 3D plotting
• Customizing plots
• Exporting figures