1.3 Matlab as a calculator

Try typing the following in the command window:

2+2
3*3
5/2
2^8
100-43
log(2)
sin(pi/2)
acos(-1)

Not very impressive perhaps--a cheap calculator can do the same. But this is just the start. MATLAB is a powerful programming language as well. Before we move on to that stuff though, take a look at Table 1.1. It is a (very) partial list of some of the mathematical operators and functions MATLAB knows. If you want to see all of the ``elementary functions'' included in MATLAB, type help elfun. To see all of the operators, type help ops. Special functions can be listed the same way, try help specfun. Incidentally, all of the help subjects in MATLAB can be listed by typing help without any arguments.

Table 1.1: A partial list of MATLAB's mathematical operators and functions.

Operators		Functions
+	Addition	sin	cos
$-$	Subtraction	tan	sinh
$*$	Multiplication	cosh	coth
^	Exponentiation	exp	log
/	``Left'' division	sqrt	abs
$\backslash$	``Right'' division	floor	ceil