The following article provides an outline for Is Matlab Free. Matlab is an interactive and mathematical computing programming environment, widely used in the field of data preprocessing, data analysis, exploration, experimentation, algorithm development, application development, problem-solving, and visualization. Matlab functions are organized in the form of libraries known as Toolbox. It’s a product of The MathWorks Massachusetts, USA.
Matlab provides ample features such as ease of use, no variable declaration, complex matrices handling, easily used graphics, concise syntax, etc., which distinguishes it from other scientific programming languages such as C and FORTRAN. Matlab can handle the multi-dimensional array. Matlab’s internal data structure is limited to a two-dimensional matrix. But to handle a multi-dimensional array, one can create its own function in Matlab. Hence both Matlab is a great success.
Parts of Matlab System
Given below are the parts of Matlab System:
1. Matlab Language
It is a high-level matrix language with functions, control statements, data structures, input/output, and object-oriented programming features.
2. Matlab Working Environment
This comprises of tools and facilities such as working with variables, importing/exporting dataset in your workspace.
3. Handle Graphics
These is high-level commands available in Matlab for 2-D & 3-D visualizations, animation, image processing, and presentation graphics. Low-level commands are also available to make you capable of customizing the appearance of the graph.
4. Mathematical Function Library
There is a huge number of mathematical functions available in Matlab. From elementary functions like sine, cosine, tan, sum, etc. to complex and advanced functions like Bessel function, eigenvalue/eigenvector of the matrix, matrix inverse, etc.
5. Application Program Interface
It’s a library that allows you to write C and Fortran programs, which can interact with Matlab. It’s a way of calling routines from Matlab. Matlab is not open-source software. However, the student version (individual license) of Matlab costs $50 for students and $150 for home users. The commercial version of Matlab will cost approx. 11 lakh INR.
Features Of Matlab
The features offered by Matlab will surely make you feel the price is nothing in front of the features it provides.
1. Platform Independent
Matlab language is supported by Windows, Linux, Unix, Macintosh. A program written on one platform can be easily run on other platforms. This is a platform independence feature.
2. Full Graphics Capabilities
Matlab provides advanced graphics that can help visualize the scientific and engineering data very well. 2-D,3-D diagrams, voluminous graphs, animation, and interactive diagrams are among other graphics. All charts could be exported into known popular graph formats. The graphs are highly customizable such: One can change the colors lines and marker, add annotations, LATEX expressions, legends, the addition of multiple axes, etc.
3. Ease of Use
MATLAB is an interpreted and interactive language. Programs can be easily written and modified by a user with a built-in integrated development environment and debugger.
4. Good Source of Help
This will help you understand from basics of handling variables, creating scripts, operation on matrices, file handling, text processing till working with structures and map containers.
Here is the list of calculations, for which Matlab is mostly used for:
- 2-D and 3-D Plotting and graphics
- Dealing with Matrices and Arrays
- Non-linear Functions
- Data Analysis
- Linear Algebra
- Algebraic Equations
- Statistics
- Calculus and Differential Equations
- Numerical Calculations
- Transforms
- Integration
- Curve Fitting
- Various other special functions
Below are the areas of science and engineering where Matlab is widely used:
- Computational Finance
- Control Systems
- Test and Biology
- Computational Biology
- Image Processing
- Video Processing
- Signal Processing
- Communications