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4.1) Scalars, Vectors And Matrices


  • All numerical variables within Matlab are arrays.
    • Scalars, vectors and matrices are represented as multi-dimensional arrays.
  • A scalar is a 2-D array of size 1x1
  • A vector is a 2-D array of 1xN (row vector) or Nx1 (column vector).
    • Be careful – programming errors are caused by using a row vector where a column vector is required and vice versa. Matlab distinguishes between these.
  • A matrix is a 2-D MxN array
  • Higher dimensional arrays can also be constructed
    • For example, an array of dimensions MxNxPxQ is a 4-D array (note that we don't use the letter o as a variable name as it could be confused with zero).
  • Arrays are used to store data. Later we will learn how to load data from files.