Matlab: Command Line Inputs for an Eigenfunction Solver (Numerical Method) - matlab

I've got some code to numerically solve for eigenvectors:
function[efun,V,D] = solveeig(n,xmax,i)
for j=1:i
%The first and second derivative matrices
dd = 1/(xmax/n)^2*(-2*diag(ones(n,1))+diag(ones(n-1,1),1)+...
diag(ones(n-1,1),-1));
d = 1/(xmax/n)*((-1*diag(ones(n,1)))+diag(ones(n-1,1),1));
%solve for the eigenvectors
[V,D] = eig(-dd-2*d);
%plot the eigenvectors (normalized) with the normalized calculated
%eigenfunctions
x = linspace(0,xmax,n);
subplot(i,1,j);
plot(x,V(:,j)/sum(V(:,j)),'*');
hold on
efun = exp(-x).*sin(j*pi*x/xmax);
plot(x,efun/(sum(efun)),'r');
shg
end
end
i is supposed to be the first i eigenvectors, n is the dimension of the
matrices (the number of pieces we discretize x into), xmax is the upper limit of the range on which the fxn is defined.
I'm trying to run this from the command line (as: "solveeig # # #", where the number signs correspond to i, n, and xmax) but no matter what I seem to put in for i, n, and xmax, I get "For colon operator with char operands, first and last operands must be char."
What should I be writing on the command line to get this to run?

Using the command syntax interprets the arguments as strings
For fuller details see the documentation but in short:
Calling
myFun myVar1 6 myVar2
is equivalent to calling
myFun('myVar1','6','myVar2')
and not the desired1
myFun(myVar1,6,myVar2)
In the first cases the function will receive 3 strings (text)
In the second the function will receive the data stored in myVar1 myVar2 and the number 6
The specific error you received is caused by line 2 for j=1:i here i is a string. This error is a merely consequence of the way the function has been called, the line itself is fine2.
How to get it to work
Use function syntax: in the command window something like:
solveeig(n,xmax,i)
If command syntax is absolutely required ( and I can't think why it would be) the much less favourable alternative would be to parse the strings inputted in command syntax. To convert the numbers into numeric formats and use evalin/assignin on the passed variable names to pull variables in from the caller
1As mentioned in comments by patrik
2meaning it won't error, however i and j as variable names is another matter

Related

Maple Error: final value in for loop must be numeric or character

I have this simple procedure in Maple that I want to plot.
test:=proc(n)
local i,t;
for i from 1 to n do
t:=1;
od;
return t;
end:
The procedure itself works fine.
> test(19)
1
When I want to plot I get the following Error:
> plot(test(x),x=1..10)
Error, (in test) final value in for loop must be numeric or character
Please help
Maple's usual evaluation model is that arguments passed to commands are evaluated up front, prior to the computation done within the body of the command's own procedure.
So if you pass test(x) to the plot command then Maple will evaluate that argument test(x) up front, with x being simply a symbolic name.
It's only later in the construction of the plot that the plot command would substitute actual numeric values for that x name.
So, the argument test(x) is evaluated up front. But let's see what happens when we try such an up front evaluation of test(x).
test:=proc(n)
local i,t;
for i from 1 to n do
t:=1;
od;
return t;
end:
test(x);
Error, (in test) final value in for loop
must be numeric or character
We can see that your test procedure is not set up to receive a non-numeric, symbolic name such as x for its own argument.
In other words, the problem lies in what you are passing to the plot command.
This kind of problem is sometimes called "premature evaluation". It's a common Maple usage mistake. There are a few ways to avoid the problem.
One way is to utilize the so-called "operator form" calling sequence of the plot command.
plot(test, 1..10);
Another way is to delay the evaluation of test(x). The following use of so-called unevalution quotes (aka single right ticks, ie. apostrophes) delays the evaluation of test(x). That prevents test(x) from being evaluated until the internal plotting routines substitute the symbolic name x with actual numeric values.
plot('test(x)', x=1..10);
Another technique is to rewrite test so that any call to it will return unevaluated unless its argument is numeric.
test:=proc(n)
local i,t;
if not type(n,numeric) then
return 'procname'(args);
end if;
for i from 1 to n do
t:=1;
od;
return t;
end:
# no longer produces an error
test(x);
test(x)
# the passed argument is numeric
test(19);
1
plot(test(x), x=1..10);
I won't bother showing the actual plots here, as your example produces just the plot of the constant 1 (one).
#acer already talked about the technical problem, but your case may actually have a mathematical problem. Your function has Natural numbers as its domain, i.e. the set of positive integers {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ...} Not the set of real numbers! How do you interpret doing a for-loop for until a real number for example Pi or sqrt(2) to 5/2? Why am I talking about real numbers? Because in your plot line you used plot( text(x), x = 1..10 ). The x=1..10 in plot is standing for x over the real interval (1, 10), not the integer set {1, 2, ..., 10}! There are two ways to make it meaningful.
Did you mean a function with integer domain? Then your plot should be a set of points. In that case you want a points-plot, you can use plots:-pointplot or adding the option style=point in plot. See their help pages for more details. Here is the simplest edit to your plot-line (keeping the part defininf test the same as in your post).
plot( [ seq( [n, test(n)], n = 1..10 ) ], style = point );
And the plot result is the following.
In your function you want the for loop to be done until an integer in relation with a real number, such as its floor? This is what the for-loop in Maple be default does. See the following example.
t := 0:
for i from 1 by 1 to 5/2 do
t := t + 1:
end do;
As you can see Maple do two steps, one for i=1 and one for i=2, it is treated literally as for i from 1 by 1 to floor(5/2) do, and this default behavior is not for every real number, if you replace 5/2 by sqrt(2) or Pi, Maple instead raise an error message for you. But anyway the fix that #acer provided for your code, plots the function "x -> test(floor(x))" in your case when x comes from rational numbers (and float numbers ^_^). If you change your code instead of returning constant number, you will see it in your plot as well. For example let's try the following.
test := proc(n)
local i,t:
if not type(n, numeric) then
return 'procname'(args):
end if:
t := 0:
for i from 1 to n do
t := t + 1:
end do:
return(t):
end:
plot(test(x), x=1..10);
Here is the plot.
It is indeed "x -> test(floor(x))".

Write a function file that returns the sum of the positive components and the sum of the negative components of the input vector

Question: Write a function file that returns the sum of the positive components and the sum of the negative components of the input vector.
This problem has to be done in MATLAB but I am completely new in MATLAB? Can anyone give idea how to do this?
Attempts:
V= input(Enter a vector)
function [Ps, Ns] = mysmallfunction(V)
Ps== sum(V(V>0));
Ns= sum(V(V<0));
end
I don't know whether it will work or not.
You pretty much had it. Below is a script that'll guide you through passing the arguments and calling the function. A small issue was the double == for the assignment of Ps within the function (simply use one = unless it's for a conditional statement). To call/test the function simply use the line [Ps, Ns] = mysmallfunction(V); above your function definition (alternatively can put function definitions in separate scripts).
V = input("Enter a vector: ");
%Function call%
[Ps, Ns] = mysmallfunction(V);
%Printing the results to the command window%
fprintf("The positive numbers sum up to %f\n",Ps);
fprintf("The negative numbers sum up to %f\n",Ns);
%*******************************************************************************************************%
%FUNCTION DEFINITION (this can alternatively go in a separate script named: mysmallfunction.m)%
%*******************************************************************************************************%
function [Ps, Ns] = mysmallfunction(V)
Ps = sum(V(V>0));
Ns = sum(V(V<0));
end
Command Window (sample input)
Important to include the square brackets, [] in this case when inputting the vector.
Enter a vector: [1 2 3 -2 -5]

Subscript indices must either be real positive integers or logicals error within Matlab decay program

I am having issues with a code of mine dealing with decay. The error "Subscript indices must either be real positive integers or logicals" continues to occur no matter how many times I attempt to fix the line of code: M=M(t)+h.*F
Here is the complete code so that it may be easier to solve the issue:
M=10000;
M=#(t) M*exp(-4.5*t);
F=-4.5*M(t);
h=.1;
t(1)=0;
tmax=20;
n=(tmax-t(1))/h;
i=1;
while h<=.5
while i<=n
t=t+h;
M=M(t)+h.*F;
data_out=[t,M];
dlmwrite('single_decay_euler_h.txt',data_out,'delimiter','\t','-append');
i=i+1;
end
h=h+.1;
end
Thanks for any help.
In the start, you're setting M = 5000;. In the following line, you're creating an anonymous function also called M:
M=#(t) M*exp(-4.5*t);
Now, your initial M = 5000 variable has been overwritten, and is substituted by the function:
M(t) = 5000 * exp(-4.5*t); %// Note that the first M is used to get 5000
Thereafter you do F = -4.5*M(t). I don't know what the value t is here, but you're giving F the value -4.5 * 5000 * exp(-4.5*t), for some value of t. You are not creating a function F.
In the first iteration of the loop, M=M(t)+h.*F; is interpreted as:
M = 5000 * exp(-4.5*0) + 0.1*F %// Where F has some value determined by previous
%// the function above and the previous value of t
%// -4.5*0 is because t = 0
M is now no longer a function, but a single scalar value. The next iteration t = 0.1. When you do: M=M(t)+h.*F; now, it interprets both the first and second M as a variable, not a function. t is therefore used as an index, instead of being an input parameter to the function M (since you have overwritten it).
When you are writing M(t), you are trying to access the 0.1'th element of the 1x1 matrix (scalar) M, which obviously isn't possible.
Additional notes:
The outer while loop has no purpose as it stands now, since i isn't reset after the inner loop. When you're finished with the first iteration of the outer loop, i is already >n, so it will never enter the inner loop again.
You shouldn't mix variable and function names (as you do with M. Use different names, always. Unless you have a very good reason not to.
data_out=[t,M]; is a growing vector inside a loop. This is considered very bad practice, ans is very slow. It's better to pre-allocate memory for the vector, for instance using data_out = zeros(k,1), and insert new values using indexes, data_out(ii) = M.
It's recommended not to use i and j as variable names in MATLAB as these also represent the imaginary unit sqrt(-1). This might cause some strange bugs if you're not paying attention to it.
You can almost certainly do what you're trying to do without loops. However, the function you have written is not functioning, and it's not explained all too well what you're trying to do, so it's hard to give advice as to how you can get what you want (but I'll give it a try). I'm skipping the dlmwrite-part, because I don't really understand what you want to output.
M = 5000;
t0 = 0;
tmax = 20;
h = 0.1; %// I prefer leading zeros in decimal numbers
t = t0: h: tmax;
data_out = M .* exp(-4.5 * t);
The problem is caused by M(t) in your code, because t is not an integer or logical (t=1,1.1,1.2,...)
You need to change your code to pass an integer as a subscript. Either multiply t by 10, or don't use the matrix M if you don't need it.

Why does MATLAB throw a "too many output arguments" error when I overload subsref (subscripted reference)?

As a toy example, I have a class that simply wraps a vector or matrix in an object and includes a timestamp of when it was created. I'm trying to overload subsref so that
() referencing works exactly as it does with the standard vector and matrix types
{} referencing works in exactly the same way as () referencing (nothing to do with cells in other words)
. referencing allows me to access the private properties of the object and other fields that aren't technically properties.
Code:
classdef TimeStampValue
properties (Access = private)
time;
values;
end
methods
%% Constructor
function x = TimeStampValue(values)
x.time = now();
x.values = values;
end
%% Subscripted reference
function x = subsref(B, S)
switch S.type
case '()'
v = builtin('subsref', B.values, S);
x = TimeStampValue(v);
case '{}'
S.type = '()';
v = builtin('subsref', B.values, S);
x = TimeStampValue(v);
case '.'
switch S.subs
case 'time'
x = B.time;
case 'values'
x = B.values;
case 'datestr'
x = datestr(B.time);
end
end
end
function disp(x)
fprintf('\t%d\n', x.time)
disp(x.values)
end
end
end
However brace {} referencing doesn't work. I run this code
clear all
x = TimeStampValue(magic(3));
x{1:2}
and I get this error:
Error using TimeStampValue/subsref
Too many output arguments.
Error in main (line 3)
x{1:2}
MException.last gives me this info:
identifier: 'MATLAB:maxlhs'
message: 'Too many output arguments.'
cause: {0x1 cell}
stack: [1x1 struct]
which isn't helpful because the only thing in the exception stack is the file containing three lines of code that I ran above.
I placed a breakpoint on the first line of the switch statement in subsref but MATLAB never reaches it.
Whats the deal here? Both () and . referencing work as you would expect, so why doesn't {} referencing work?
When overloading the curly braces {} to return a different number of output arguments than usual, it is also necessary to overload numel to return the intended number (1, in this case). UPDATE: As of R2015b, the new function numArgumentsFromSubscript was created to be overloaded instead of numel. The issue remains the same, but this function should be overloaded instead of numel as I describe in the original answer below. See also the page "Modify nargout and nargin for Indexing Methods". Excerpt:
When a class overloads numArgumentsFromSubscript, MATLAB calls this method instead of numel to compute the number of arguments expected for subsref nargout and subsasgn nargin.
If classes do not overload numArgumentsFromSubscript, MATLAB calls numel to compute the values of nargout or nargin.
More explanation of the underlying issue (need to specify number of output arguments) follows.
Original answer (use numArgumentsFromSubscript instead of numel for R2015b+)
To handle the possibility of a comma separated list of output arguments when indexing with curly braces, MATLAB calls numel to determine the number of output arguments from the size of the input indexes (according to this MathWorks answer). If the number of output arguments in the definition of overloaded subsref is inconsistent with (i.e. less than) the number provided by numel, you get the "Too many output arguments" error. As stated by MathWorks:
Therefore, to allow curly brace indexing into your object while returning a number of arguments INCONSISTENT with the size of the input, you will need to overload the NUMEL function inside your class directory.
Since x{1:2} normally provides two outputs (X{1},X{2}), the definition function x = subsref(B, S) is incompatible for this input. The solution is to include in the class a simple numel method to overload the builtin function, as follows:
function n = numel(varargin)
n = 1;
end
Now the {} indexing works as intended, mimicking ():
>> clear all % needed to reset the class definition
>> x = TimeStampValue(magic(3));
>> x(1:2)
ans =
7.355996e+05
8 3
>> x{1:2}
ans =
7.355996e+05
8 3
However, overloading curly braces in this manner is apparently a "specific type of code that we [MathWorks] did not expect customers to be writing". MathWorks recommends:
If you are designing your class to output only one argument, it is not recommended that you use curly brace indexing that requires you to overload NUMEL. Instead, it is recommended you use smooth brace () indexing.
UPDATE: Interestingly, the R2015b release notes state:
Before MATLAB release R2015b, MATLAB incorrectly computed the number of arguments expected for outputs from subsref and inputs to subsasgn for some indexing expressions that return or assign to a comma-separated list.
With release R2015b, MATLAB correctly computes the values of nargout and nargin according to the number of arguments required by the indexing expression.
So perhaps this is now fixed?
An alternative solution that comes to mind is to change function x = subsref(B, S) to function varargout = subsref(B, S) and adding varargout=cell(1,numel(B)); varargout{1} = x;. As Amro noted in comments, pre-allocating the cell is necessary to avoid an error about an unassigned argument.
I just ran into the same problem. What's even worse, is that the number of output arguments is enforced to be equal to what numel() returns not only for the curly braces {}, but also for the dot . operation.
This means that if numel() is overridden to return the usual prod(size(obj)), it becomes impossible to access any properties of the underlying object (such as x.time in the above example), as subsref() is then expected to return multiple outputs.
But if numel() just returns 1 instead, it does not match prod(size(obj)), which is what most code working with numeric values or based on reshape() expects. In fact, the MATLAB editor's balloon help immediately suggests that 'NUMEL(x) is usually faster than PROD(SIZE(x))', which suggest that they are equivalent, but apparently are not.
A possible solution would be to make numel() return prod(size(obj)) and write explicit getter/setter functions for all these properties, e.g.,
x.get_time()
in the example above. This seems to work, because method calls apparently get resolved before subsref() gets called. But then if one of the properties is a matrix it cannot be directly indexed any more because Matlab doesn't understand chained indexing, i.e., instead of writing
x.matrix(1,:)
one would have to write
m = x.get_matrix();
m(1,:)
which is ugly to say the least.
This is starting to get a bit frustrating. I still hope I've just overlooked something obvious, I can't believe that this is how it's supposed to work.
This solution seems to work in 2014b (but not entirely certain why)
classdef TestClass < handle
methods
function n = numel(~,varargin)
n = 1;
end
function varargout = subsref(input,S)
varargout = builtin('subsref',input,S);
end
function out = twoOutputs(~)
out = {}; out{1} = 2; out{2} = 3;
end
end
end
Then via the command window
>> testClass = TestClass();
>> [a,b] = testClass.twoOutouts()
a =
2
b =
3
I am working on a class to handle polynomials and polynomial matrices. I was having the same dificulty because I want different behaviors for the '.' indexing in the cases of scalar polynomials and polynomial matrices.
In my case I want P.coef to return a vector of coefficients if P is a scalar polynomial. If P is a polynomial matrix, P.coef must return a cell array of the same size of P, in which the cell {i,j} contains the coefficient vector of the polynomial P(i,j).
The problem appeared when P.coef was used with a matrix. My desired behavior returns only one object as an answer, but Matlab is expecting the function to return numel(P) objects.
I found a very simple solution. When declaring subsref, I used one mandatory output and a varargout:
function [R,varargout] = subsref(P,S)
The body of the function defines R as needed, according to my design. And at the very end of the function I added:
varargout(1:nargout-1) = cell(1,nargout-1);
To just return empty matrices as the extra outputs that Matlab wants.
This should create no problem if the function is always called with a single output argument, e.g., as in R = P.coef. If the function is called without assigning, the user will see numel(P)-1 empty matrices, which is really not a big deal. Anyway, the user is warned about this in the function help.

need explanation about a matlab code snippet about moran process

I am new to Matlab. I was reading this code snippet, but in some parts (marked with asterisks) I don't understand what it means, so if anybody could help would be very much appreciated
function [A1nmb] = moran(initsize, popsize)
% MORAN generates a trajectory of a Moran type process
% which gives the number of genes of allelic type A1 in a population
% of haploid individuals that can exist in either type A1 or type A2.
% The population size is popsize and the initial number of type A1
% individuals os initsize.
% Inputs: initsize - initial number of A1 genes
% popsize - the total population size (preserved)
if (nargin==0)
initsize=10;
popsize=30;
end
A1nmb=zeros(1,popsize);
A1nmb(1)=initsize;
**lambda = inline('(x-1).*(1-(x-1)./N)', 'x', 'N');
mu = inline('(x-1).*(1-(x-1)./N)', 'x', 'N');**
x=initsize;
i=1;
while (x>1 & x<popsize+1)
if (lambda(x,popsize)/(lambda(x,popsize)+mu(x,popsize))>rand)
x=x+1;
A1nmb(i)=x;
else
x=x-1;
A1nmb(i)=x;
end;
i=i+1;
end;
nmbsteps=length(A1nmb);
***rate = lambda(A1nmb(1:nmbsteps-1),popsize) ...
+mu(A1nmb(1:nmbsteps-1),popsize);***
**jumptimes=cumsum(-log(rand(1,nmbsteps-1))./rate);**
jumptimes=[0 jumptimes];
stairs(jumptimes,A1nmb);
axis([0 jumptimes(nmbsteps) 0 popsize+1]);
The first line you marked
lambda = inline('(x-1).*(1-(x-1)./N)', 'x', 'N');
creates something called an inline function. It is equivalent to defining a mathematical function. Example:
y = inline('x^2')
would allow you to do
>> y(2)
4
This immediately explains the second line you marked.
rate = lambda(A1nmb(1:nmbsteps-1),popsize) ...
+mu(A1nmb(1:nmbsteps-1),popsize);
will compute the value of the function lambda(x,N) at x = A1nmb(1:nmbsteps-1) and N = popsize.
I will say immediately here that you should take a look at anonymous functions, a different format used to accomplish the same as inline. Only, anonymous functions are generally better supported, and usually a lot faster than inline functions.
Then, for the final line,
jumptimes = cumsum(-log(rand(1,nmbsteps-1))./rate);
is a nested command. rand will create a matrix containing pseudorandom numbers, log is the natural logarithm ("ln"), and cumsum creates a new matrix, where all the elements in the new matrix are the cumulative sum of the elements in the input matrix.
You will find the commands doc and help very useful. Try typing
doc cumsum
or
help inline
on the Matlab command prompt. Try that again with the commands forming the previous statement.
As a general word of advice: spend an insane lot of time reading through the documentation. Really, for each new command you encounter, read about it and play with it in a sandbox until you feel you understand it. Matlab only becomes powerful if you know all its commands, and there are a lot to get to know.
It defines an inline function object. For example this
lambda = inline('(x-1).*(1-(x-1)./N)', 'x', 'N')
defines lambda as a function with 2 variables. When you call lambda(A,n) Matlab simply expands the function you define in the first string. Thus lambda(A,n) using the variables you provide in the function call. lambda(A,n) would will evaluate to:
(A-1).*(1-(A-1)./n)
it just expands the function using the parameters you supply. Take a look at this link for more specific details http://www.mathworks.co.uk/help/techdoc/ref/inline.html
The cumsum function just returns the cumulative sum of a matrix along a particular dimension. Say we call cumsum on a vector X, then the value at element i in the result is equal to the sum of elements in X from index 1 to i. For example X = [1 2 1 3] we would get
AA = cumsum(X);
we would have
AA = [1 3 5 8]
See this link for more details and examples http://www.mathworks.co.uk/help/techdoc/ref/cumsum.html