Manipulating Character Matrices in Matlab: A Guide to Operations"

In summary, the conversation discusses the use of matrices in Matlab, particularly for performing operations on matrices containing characters. It is suggested to use cells or symbolic variables as alternatives, but the latter may not be suitable for matrix arithmetic.
  • #1
DmytriE
78
0
Hi everyone,

I am wondering if I can input a matrix into Matlab that contains characters. I then would like to manipulate the matrix using row changing operations. Matlab, however, will not allow me to create a matrix with letters. Is there an equivalent to a matrix for character values that can have operations performed on them?

Thanks.
 
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  • #3
Maybe I'm using cells incorrectly, but to test I am multiplying a 4x4 matrix / array with the 4x4 identity. It should return the original matrix / array. However, I get an error message that won't allow me to perform the operation.

"? Undefined function or method 'mtimes' for input arguments of type 'cell'.

This is irritating. :mad: I wanted to use this as a check for my homework but I can't. Is there anyway around this error?

Thanks!
 
  • #4
Are you just trying to do symbolic math with matrices? You can use sym or the shortcut syms to create symbolic variables and then create a matrix using them. E.g. for something like
[tex]
\begin{vmatrix}
a & b \\
c & d
\end{vmatrix} = ad - bc
[/tex]
you could do:
Code:
syms a b c d [color=#008000]real[/color];
det([a b; c d]);
I didn't realize you needed to do matrix arithmetic, so cells won't work.
 
  • #5


I am familiar with using Matlab for data manipulation and analysis. While it is true that Matlab does not allow for the creation of matrices with letters, there are alternative data structures that can be used for character values, such as strings or cells. These can also be manipulated using various operations, such as concatenation, indexing, and sorting. It is important to carefully consider the data structure that best suits your needs and the operations you wish to perform, as this can greatly impact the efficiency and accuracy of your analysis. Additionally, there are many resources and guides available online that can provide more specific guidance on manipulating character matrices in Matlab.
 

What is Matlab and how is it used?

Matlab is a programming platform commonly used in scientific and engineering fields for data analysis, visualization, and modeling. It allows users to perform complex calculations and manipulate data in a user-friendly environment.

What is a character matrix in Matlab?

A character matrix in Matlab is a two-dimensional array that contains text or characters. It is often used to store and manipulate strings or words.

How can I create a character matrix in Matlab?

To create a character matrix in Matlab, you can use the built-in function 'char' or 'sprintf' to convert strings or numbers into characters. You can also directly assign values to the matrix using single quotes around the characters.

What are some common operations used to manipulate character matrices in Matlab?

Some common operations used to manipulate character matrices in Matlab include concatenation, extraction, and conversion. Concatenation allows you to combine multiple matrices into one, extraction allows you to select specific elements from a matrix, and conversion allows you to convert characters to different data types.

Are there any built-in functions in Matlab that can help with character matrix manipulation?

Yes, there are several built-in functions in Matlab that can help with character matrix manipulation, such as 'strcat' for concatenation, 'strsplit' for splitting strings, and 'lower' or 'upper' for converting characters to lowercase or uppercase. It is recommended to consult the Matlab documentation for a full list of available functions.

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