Whats the best book/resource to learn MATLAB?

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In summary: Maybe something about C++, but that's it.In summary, the best book/resource to learn MATLAB may be found by looking through the help files and writing simple programs to help you learn the language.
  • #1
SuperMiguel
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Whats the best book/resource to learn MATLAB??

Whats the best book/resource to learn MATLAB??
 
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  • #2


The best way to learn how to code or use MATLAB functions from my personal experience is simply looking through the help files and writing program that relate to your work.

Matlab is an incredibly big program and no one "knows" matlab; people are just competent at certain parts of the program i.e simulink.

I think getting a book on MATLAB may be good to see the general idea of how programs are written but as for actually learning to use MATLAB well, the book would probably not help much.
 
  • #3


Well the thing is that I am just an EE student, and don't work as an EE so i can't think of anything that i would like to do with it now. But i know MATLAB is a must for engineers.
 
  • #4


I am an EE student myself!
The way I am learning to use MATLAB right now is through my Linear signals and systems course. The labs require us to use MATLAB to do things like convolution, solving ODE's and finding Fourier coefficents etc.
From my experience, writing programs in MATLAB to do whatever you feel like is a better way of learning it.
 
  • #5


bah still taking calc and physics :(
 
  • #6


The best way to learn then, would be to start writing some simple programs when you have the time.

I remember seeing a book called Matlab for Engineers at one of my labs but I am not sure how good it is.There are also tons of tutorials available online.

Here is one that was provided by a TA at my university :
http://www.ee.ryerson.ca/~ieee/articles/MATLAB.html
 
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  • #7
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
The best way to learn then, would be to start writing some simple programs when you have the time.

I remember seeing a book called Matlab for Engineers at one of my labs but I am not sure how good it is.


There are also tons of tutorials available online.

Here is one that was provided by a TA at my university :
http://www.ee.ryerson.ca/~ieee/articles/MATLAB.html

Thanks for that link..

pst: is this the book? https://www.amazon.com/dp/0136044220/?tag=pfamazon01-20
 
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  • #8


SuperMiguel said:
Thanks for that link..

pst: is this the book? https://www.amazon.com/dp/0136044220/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Yes, that's the one!

It seems to have gotten good reviews. Quickly looking over the reviews, the book seems to cover the basics pretty well which is what you are looking for. :)

Perhaps, you could pick up a copy at your schools library.
 
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  • #9


Books aren't easy to learn from. The best way to learn a programming language is to write programs. If a book just gives you programs to write, I guess that helps, but you can find tons of these things online. All I ever use is documentation to look up certain functions or examples on how to do certain things.

You can read the book all you like but you'll need to be able to actually code sometime.
 
  • #10


My favorite tutorial:

http://www.myoops.org/twocw/usu/Civil_and_Environmental_Engineering/Numerical_Methods_in_Civil_Engineering/usufiles/MATLABforSCILABUsers.pdf

It is short and compact, one can simply ignore its title which can be misleading "MATLAB for SciLab users".
 
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  • #11


hadsed said:
Books aren't easy to learn from. The best way to learn a programming language is to write programs. If a book just gives you programs to write, I guess that helps, but you can find tons of these things online. All I ever use is documentation to look up certain functions or examples on how to do certain things.

You can read the book all you like but you'll need to be able to actually code sometime.

Either you are very very smart, Or you have never studied from a well designed programming textbook.
 
  • #12


I really haven't. I know HTML/CSS/PHP, C++, Java, FORTRAN, Python (a little bit because I use Sage), MATLAB, and I'm pretty well-versed in bash. I'll admit, though, I had to look at a MATLAB textbook because I was assigned homework problems from it. Other than that, I tried to learn from a PHP book around 4 or 5 years ago and I never got past the first section. Took it back to the library the same day. The real secret is just learning from example code. If you take it step-by-step, you begin to learn all the little tricks and quirks to the languages.

Google is your best friend.

EDIT: Oh, I had homework problems from a Java book too. Never used it to learn Java though.
 
  • #13


hadsed said:
Google is your best friend.

Haha, that's so true. I spent a year's industrial placement programming (wasn't told when I applied for it that it would just be VBA), and I learned more or less everything from Google and MSDN. If I did read any books, I don't even remember them now...
 
  • #14
Matlab has a wealth of tutorials online. They are excellent and comprehensive IMO. Start going through some of it and you'll start getting the hang of it.

http://www.mathworks.com/help/techdoc/learn_matlab/bqr_2pl.html
 
  • #15


Yeah, what The Outsider said. They even have interactive video tutorials for the student version I'm using.
 

1. What is MATLAB and why is it important?

MATLAB is a high-level programming language and interactive environment commonly used in scientific and engineering fields. It is important because it allows for efficient data analysis, visualization, and mathematical computations.

2. What are the best books for beginners learning MATLAB?

Some popular books for beginners include "MATLAB for Engineers" by Holly Moore, "Essential MATLAB for Engineers and Scientists" by Brian Hahn and Daniel Valentine, and "Getting Started with MATLAB" by Rudra Pratap.

3. Are there any online resources for learning MATLAB?

Yes, there are several online resources such as MathWorks' official MATLAB tutorials and documentation, online courses on websites like Coursera and Udemy, and YouTube channels like MATLAB Tutorial by Derek Banas.

4. What topics should I focus on when learning MATLAB?

Some important topics to focus on when learning MATLAB include basic syntax and data types, control structures, functions, plotting and data visualization, and data analysis techniques such as matrix operations and statistical analysis.

5. How can I improve my skills in MATLAB?

One way to improve your skills in MATLAB is to practice regularly and work on projects that require the use of MATLAB. You can also participate in online forums and communities to ask questions and learn from others, attend workshops and conferences, and read advanced books on specific topics.

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