Inputting a function on MATLAB - matlab

I have been trying to write a MATLAB code that can take in any function for optimization with as many variables as the user wants.
function Enter_Optimization_Code
clear all
clc
x=[];
U='';
n=input('Enter the number of variables= ')
U=input('Enter function with variables as x(1), x(2), x(3)..= ','s')
start=input('Enter coordinates of the starting point as [1,3,..]= ')
for i=1:n
x(i)=start(i)
end
int(U)
The code is asking the user to enter the number of variables they want and then the function they want to optimize (I didnt write the optimization code yet). For now, I want the code to plug in the value of the starting point into the function and spit out the answer.
e.g. I am entering a function that is x(1)+x(2) and start point as [1,2]. This should cause the code to do the calculation of 1+2=3 and print 3. This is what's happening instead:
Enter the number of variables= 2
n =
2
Enter function with variables as x(1), x(2), x(3)..= x(1)+x(2)
U =
x(1)+x(2)
Enter coordinates of the starting point as [1,3,..]= [1,2]
start =
1 2
x =
1
x =
1 2
Undefined function 'int' for input arguments of type 'char'.
Error in Enter_Optimization_Code (line 17)
Can anybody solve this?

If you are trying to integrate the function with the symbolic function int, you can't pass a string input to that function, it has to be a symbolic expression, check the documentation.
You probably need to do int(sym(U)) instead to convert the string U into a symbolic expression.
EDIT based on comments and using TroyHaskin's suggestion
Here's a version that should work. However, I'm not sure why this is a function, it should really be a script.
function Enter_Optimization_Code
% Not sure why you're using a function, this should really be a script
% clear all should only be used in scripts, not in functions
clc
% n=input('Enter the number of variables= '); not needed
U=input('Enter function with variables as x(1), x(2), x(3)..= ','s');
start=input('Enter coordinates of the starting point as [1,3,..]= ');
f = str2func(['#(x)',U]);
y = feval(f,start);
disp([U 'evaluated at x=([' num2str(start) ']) = ' num2str(y)])

If you want the user to enter the equation in this manner, you can convert the string to an anonymous function using str2func:
fun = str2func(['#(x)',U]);
This will work for function literals like x(1)-x(2)^x(3) and valid function calls my_opt(x).

Related

How to write code to run a function and retrieve values from it

I am supposed to use a 2D Gaussian function which will have the following mathematical expression ๐บ(๐‘ฅ) = ๐‘’^(โˆ’(๐‘ฅโˆ’๐œ‡)^2/๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘‘^2) and plot a graph of the function. ยต is the mean and std stands for the standard deviation, by the way. How would a write code to plug in values to the function and output the values of G(x) and x in to an array to be plotted?
I've tried looking at older code I've done for previous graph's I've made, but this function is much more complex than I've ever done.
The following anonymous function would work in your case
G = #(x,mu,sigma) exp(-((x-mu).^2)/(sigma^2));
x=-10:0.01:10;
plot(x,G(x,0.2,0.4));
Generically speaking, use the following method to call a function and return values:
Main Script
clc; clear; close all;
x = 0;
y = add_x(x);
Function Call
function y = add_x(x)
y = x+1;
end
Read more about function calling in the MATLAB Documentation.

Calculating the numeric derivative

So i'm a little confounded by how to structure my problem.
So the assignment states as following:
Type a m-file numerical_derivative.m that performs numerical derivation. Use
it to calculate f'(-3) when f(x) = 3x^2 /(ln(1-x))
In the m-file you to use h = 10^-6 and have the following mainfunction:
function y = numericalderivative (f, x)
% Calculates the numerical value in the case of f in punk x.
% --- Input ---
% f: function handle f(x)
% x: the point where the derivative is calculated
% --- output ---
% y: the numerical derivative of f on the point x
If I want to save it as a file and run the program in matlab, does't it make it redundant to use handles then?
I won't give you the answer to your homework, but perhaps a simpler example would help.
Consider the following problem
Write a function named fdiff which takes the following two arguments:
A function f represented by a function handle which takes one argument,
and a point x which can be assumed to be in the domain of the f.
Write fdiff so that it returns the value f(x) - f(x-1)
Solution (would be in the file named fdiff.m)
function result = fdiff(f, x)
result = f(x) - f(x-1);
end
Example Use Cases
>> my_function1 = #(x) 3*x^2 /(log(1-x));
>> fdiff(my_function1, -3)
ans =
-10.3477
>> my_function2 = #(x) x^2;
>> fdiff(my_function2, 5)
ans =
9
What you've created with fdiff is a function which takes another function as an input. As you can see it doesn't just work for 3*x^2 /(log(1-x)) but any function you want to define.
The purpose of your assignment is to create something very similar, except instead of computing f(x) - f(x-1), you are asked write a function which approximates f'(x). Your use-case will be nearly identical to the first example except instead of fdiff your function will be named numericalderivative.
Note
In case it's not clear, the second example defines the my_function2 as x^2. The value returned by fdiff(my_function2, 5) is therefore 5^2 - 4^2 = 9.
When you make this as a function file and run this in MATLAB without any input arguments i.e., 'f' and 'x', it will give you the error: 'not enough input arguments'. In order to run the file you have to type something like numericalderivative (3x^2 /(ln(1-x)), 5), which gives the value of the numerical derivative at x = 5.
Functions and, in MATLAB function files are a simple implementation of the DRY programming method. You're being asked to create a function that takes a handle and an x file, then return the derivative of that function handle and that x value. The point of the function file is to be able to re-use your function with either multiple function handles or multiple x values. This is useful as it simply involves passing a function handle and a numeric value to a function.
In your case your script file or command window code would look something like:
func = #(x) (3*x^2)/log(1-x);
x = -3;
num_deriv = numericalderivative(func,x);
You should write the code to make the function numericalderivative work.

ODE solver producing runtime error - not enough input arguments [duplicate]

I have a use case as follows:
Inside F.m I have a function F that takes as its argument a 2 x 1 matrix x. F needs to matrix multiply the matrix kmat by x. kmat is a variable that is generated by a script.
So, what I did was set kmat to be global in the script:
global kmat;
kmat = rand(2);
In F.m:
function result = F(x)
global kmat;
result = kmat*x;
end
Then finally, in the script I have (x_0 has already been defined as an appropriate 2 x 1 matrix, and tstart and tend are positive integers):
xs = ode45(F, [tstart, tend], x_0);
However, this is causing the error:
Error using F (line 3)
Not enough input arguments.
Error in script (line 12)
xs = ode45(F, [tstart, tend], x_0);
What is going on here, and what can I do to fix it? Alternatively, what is the right way to pass kmat to F?
Firstly, the proper way to handle kmat is to make it an input argument to F.m
function result = F(x,kmat)
result = kmat*x;
end
Secondly, the input function to ode45 must be a function with inputs t and x (possibly vectors, t is the dependent variable and x is the dependent). Since your F function doesn't have t as an input argument, and you have an extra parameter kmat, you have to make a small anonymous function when you call ode45
ode45(#(t,x) F(x,kmat),[tstart tend],x_0)
If your derivative function was function result=derivative(t,x), then you simply do ode45(#derivative,[tstart tend],x_0) as Erik said.
I believe F in ode45(F,...) should be a function handle, i.e. #F. Also, you can have a look at this page of the MATLAB documentation for different methods to pass extra parameters to functions.

Matlab: Detect number of input arguments for function handle from outside of the function

I begin with a symbolic function of one variable, calculate the symbolic derivatives of orders 1 through N, and then convert those symbolic functions into function handles and store the function handles in a cell array. I then evaluate each function handle at the same input value using a loop. The problem I have is that it is possible for one of the derivatives to be a constant (with higher order derivatives being zero, of course). As I was trying to give each function handle an input, I face the "Too many input arguments" error. I would like to be able to check, in advance, whether the function handle is a constant so I can avoid the error, but I can't figure out how to do that.
In case a small working example is helpful, I provide the following
symVar = sym('symVar');
startFunc = symVar^4 + symVar^3 + symVar^2;
derivesCell = cell(5);
for J=1:5
derivesCell(J) = {matlabFunction(diff(startFunc,symVar,J))};
end
cumSum = 0;
evalPoint = 2;
for J=1:5
cumSum = cumSum + derivesCell{J}(evalPoint);
end
Execution produces "Error using symengine>#()2.4e1
Too many input arguments."
tl;dr: You can do this with nargin:
>> nargin(derivesCell{5})
ans =
0
>> nargin(derivesCell{3})
ans =
1
Explanation:
Most people are familiar with the use of nargin as a "special variable" inside the function, but it can be used outside the context of a function definition, as a function that takes a function_handle argument, returning the number of input arguments that function handle takes. From the documentation:
NARGIN(FUN) returns the number of declared inputs for the
M-file function FUN. The number of arguments is negative if the
function has a variable number of input arguments. FUN can be
a function handle that maps to a specific function, or a string
containing the name of that function.

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