Why Matlab?

Why should use MATLAB (Matrix Laboratory)?

MATLAB has several advantages over other methods or languages:

* Its basic data element is the matrix. A simple integer is considered an matrix of one row and one column.  Several mathematical operations that work on arrays or matrices are built-in to the Matlab environment. For example, cross-products, dot-products, determinants, inverse matrices.

* Vectorized operations. Adding two arrays together needs only one command, instead of a for or while loop.

* The graphical output is optimized for interaction. You can plot your data very easily, and then change colors, sizes, scales, etc, by using the graphical interactive tools.

* Matlab’s functionality can be greatly expanded by the addition of toolboxes. These are sets of specific functions that provided more specialized functionality. Ex: Excel link allows data to be written in a format recognized by Excel, Statistics Toolbox allows more specialized statistical manipulation of data (Anova, Basic Fits, etc)

* Matlab in not only a programming language, but a programming environment as well. we can perform operations from the command line, as a sophisticated calculator Or we can create programs and functions that perform repetitive tasks, just as any other computer language.