MATLAB: Vectors and Plotting

Name: MATLAB: Vectors and Plotting
Author: Gabriel Popoola

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Welcome to the lesson on 2D vectors in MATLAB. During this lesson, I'm gonna go over the basic and general definition of a vector, as well as some different ways to represent two-dimensional vectors in MATLAB. So a vector is an object that has both a magnitude and a direction. Geometrically, we can picture a vector as a directed line segment. The length of the line segment is the magnitude, and the direction is indicated with an arrow. So a 2D vector is simply a vector that exists in a 2D space, or on a 2D plane. Simple example of this is, a line on an XY coordinate, but more specifically, a directed line on an XY coordinate. And so the first way to represent your 2D vectors can simply be using a matrix. And so, I'm gonna create a variable called vectors, and I'm gonna set it equal to a set of magnitudes and directions. So, the first thing here, is that, I'm going have a separate row for each value or set of values. And the first one will simply be the magnitudes. And I'm just gonna keep it simple and do 1 through 4. And as you already know, to add a new line or new row to your matrix, you just use the semicolon. And so, next up is the direction. And since this is a 2D vector, the directions are represented using two values. Since we, I likely just gonna work with the Cartesian coordinate system here, those directions will be X and Y. So, it is possible to include both values together, but for simplicity, I'm gonna keep it separate. And now I'm gonna add my X coordinates, which are gonna be 0, 2, 4, and 6. And for my Y it's gonna be the same. So now we have this matrix here, where the first row is the magnitudes, the second is the X coordinates, and the third is the Y coordinates. Now you can rearrange these rows however you want, you can use columns. So instead of having each row be a different set of values you can have each column represent a different set of values. Another way to represent 2D vectors is just by having a separate MATLAB array for each set of values. So what I mean by that is, mag, so mag short for magnitude, and we can set that equal to whatever values we want. So 2, 4, 6, 16. And then we can have our X values, 10, 11, 2, and 4. And these numbers are all pretty trivial. The important thing here is that the number of elements in each one is the same. And we have our vectors now represented with three different arrays, the magnitude, X, and Y. Now a lot of this is just a matter of preference, however, depending on the type of data and the source of the data that you're working with, you may just need to read in a file that contains all the data for your vectors already. And then you can just break up that file or that structure into either a matrix or a set of arrays, whichever way or whichever structure works the best for you. This concludes this lesson. Thank you.

Intermediate Provider : Gabriel Popoola 3 Lessons · 20m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

A large part of data analytics and data science is figuring out the most efficient way to represent your data, whether it is 2D or 3D.This is often done by representing the data in the form of low dimensional 2D or 3D vectors.

Simply put, vectors are objects that have both magnitude and direction. These vectors can then be plotted on a graph with x and y axes, also known as Cartesian coordinate plots. This gives the audience a better understanding of just how correlated the various features are.

Start picturing your data with this MATLAB module, in which you will learn all about 2D and 3D vector representations in MATLAB, as well as how to plot your vectors. You will also learn how choosing different functions with which to plot your vectors will vary depending on what you’re looking for, and what is easiest to work with.

What You'll Learn

Explain the different ways that 2D and 3D vectors can be represented in MATLAB
Visualize your vectors in MATLAB using various plotting functions
Define Cartesian coordinates and how they apply to plotting
Plot 2D and 3D vectors on a graph with x and y axes
Choose appropriate plotting functions based on what you are looking for and what is easiest to work with

Key Takeaways

A large part of data analytics and data science is figuring out the most efficient way to represent your data, whether it is 2D or 3D.
Vectors are objects that have both magnitude and direction, and data is often represented in the form of low-dimensional 2D or 3D vectors.
Vectors can be plotted on a graph with x and y axes, also known as Cartesian coordinate plots, giving the audience a better understanding of how correlated the various features are.
The choice of which functions to use when plotting your vectors will vary depending on what you are looking for and what is easiest to work with.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this MATLAB course cover?

This module covers 2D and 3D vector representations in MATLAB and how to plot your vectors. It includes lessons on 2D Vectors, 3D Vectors, and Plotting Vectors, and explains Cartesian coordinates and how they apply to plotting.

What skills will I gain from this course?

The course builds skills in Linear Algebra, MATLAB, Scientific Vector Languages, Vector Calculus, Vector Graphics, and Vector Data.

What is a vector as described in this course?

Vectors are objects that have both magnitude and direction. They can be used to represent data in low-dimensional 2D or 3D form and can be plotted on a graph with x and y axes.

How does this course help with data analytics and data science?

A large part of data analytics and data science is figuring out the most efficient way to represent your data, whether it is 2D or 3D. By representing data as 2D or 3D vectors and plotting them, the course helps you picture your data and understand how correlated the various features are.