MATLAB
SYMBOLIC MATH TOOLBOX
WHAT ARE THE SYMBOLIC MATH
TOOLBOXES
• The Symbolic Math Toolboxes incorporate symbolic
computation into the numeric environment of
MATLAB.
• These toolboxes supplement MATLAB numeric and
graphical facilities with several other types of
mathematical computation.
• The computational engine underlying the toolboxes
is the kernel of Maple.
WHAT ARE THE SYMBOLIC MATH
TOOLBOXES
Facility Covers
Calculus Differentiation, integration, limits, summation, and
Taylor series.
Linear Algebra Inverses, determinants, eigenvalues, singular value
decomposition, and canonical forms of symbolic
Matrices
Simplification Methods of simplifying algebraic expressions.
Solution of Symbolic and numerical solutions to algebraic and
Equations differential equations
Special Special functions of classical applied mathematics
Mathematical
Functions
GETTING STARTED
Symbolic Objects
• The Symbolic Math Toolbox defines a new MATLAB
data type called a symbolic object.
• a symbolic object is a data structure that stores a
string representation of the symbol.
• The Symbolic Math Toolbox uses symbolic objects to
represent symbolic variables, expressions, and
matrices.
GETTING STARTED
Creating Symbolic Variables and Expressions
• The sym command lets you construct symbolic
variables and expressions.
• x = sym('x') , a = sym('alpha')
• Or type
syms a b c x which is the same as
a = sym('a')
b = sym('b')
c = sym('c')
x = sym('x')
GETTING STARTED
• In general, you can use sym or syms to create
symbolic variables.
• To create a symbolic expression that is a constant,
you must use the sym command. For example, to
create the expression whose value is 5, enter
f = sym('5').
THE FINDSYM COMMAND
• To determine what symbolic variables are present in
an expression.
• syms a b n t x z
• f = x^n; g = sin(a*t + b);
• findsym(f)
• ans =
• n, x
• findsym(g)
• ans =
• a, b, t
THE SUBS COMMAND
• You can substitute a numerical value for a symbolic
variable using the subs command.
• Syms x
• f = 2*x^2 - 3*x + 1
• enter the command
• subs(f,2)
• This returns f(2):
• ans =
• 3
