Matlab

zLanqing/codex-claude-academic-skills/scientific-toolkit-skill/references/scientific-skills/matlab

by zLanqing7ed6377f0efb6a38951b48ef03b19d996e454b1fFor MATLAB (https://www.mathworks.com/pricing-licensing.html) and for Octave (GNU General Public License version 3)Listed Oct 9, 2026Updated Oct 9, 2026

MATLAB and GNU Octave numerical computing for matrix operations, data analysis, visualization, and scientific computing. Use when writing MATLAB/Octave scripts for linear algebra, signal processing, image processing, differential equations, optimization, statistics, or creating scientific visualizations. Also use when the user needs help with MATLAB syntax, functions, or wants to convert between MATLAB and Python code. Scripts can be executed with MATLAB or the open-source GNU Octave interpreter.

AI-generated overview

Guides writing MATLAB and GNU Octave scripts for numerical computing, data analysis, and scientific visualization.

What it does
This skill provides reference material and code patterns for MATLAB and GNU Octave work: matrix and array operations, linear algebra, statistics, differential equations, signal processing, plotting, and file import/export. It also covers control flow, functions, Python integration, and MATLAB-to-Octave compatibility differences. It produces guidance and example scripts rather than executing anything itself.
When to use it
Use it when writing or explaining MATLAB or Octave code, converting between MATLAB and Python, or needing help with MATLAB syntax and functions. It suits numerical, scientific, and engineering computing tasks such as linear algebra, simulations, and scientific plots.
Requirements
MATLAB or GNU Octave is needed to run or test generated scripts, but not to generate them. The skill ships no scripts; it is instructions plus reference documents. Network access is not required.

MATLAB/Octave Scientific Computing

MATLAB is a numerical computing environment optimized for matrix operations and scientific computing. GNU Octave is a free, open-source alternative with high MATLAB compatibility.

Quick Start

Running MATLAB scripts:

bash
# MATLAB (commercial)matlab -nodisplay -nosplash -r "run('script.m'); exit;"
# GNU Octave (free, open-source)octave script.m

Install GNU Octave:

bash
# macOSbrew install octave
# Ubuntu/Debiansudo apt install octave
# Windows - download from https://octave.org/download

Core Capabilities

1. Matrix Operations

MATLAB operates fundamentally on matrices and arrays:

matlab
% Create matricesA = [1 2 3; 4 5 6; 7 8 9];  % 3x3 matrixv = 1:10;                     % Row vector 1 to 10v = linspace(0, 1, 100);      % 100 points from 0 to 1
% Special matricesI = eye(3);          % Identity matrixZ = zeros(3, 4);     % 3x4 zero matrixO = ones(2, 3);      % 2x3 ones matrixR = rand(3, 3);      % Random uniformN = randn(3, 3);     % Random normal
% Matrix operationsB = A';              % TransposeC = A * B;           % Matrix multiplicationD = A .* B;          % Element-wise multiplicationE = A \ b;           % Solve linear system Ax = bF = inv(A);          % Matrix inverse

For complete matrix operations, see references/matrices-arrays.md [blocked].

2. Linear Algebra

matlab
% Eigenvalues and eigenvectors[V, D] = eig(A);     % V: eigenvectors, D: diagonal eigenvalues
% Singular value decomposition[U, S, V] = svd(A);
% Matrix decompositions[L, U] = lu(A);      % LU decomposition[Q, R] = qr(A);      % QR decompositionR = chol(A);         % Cholesky (symmetric positive definite)
% Solve linear systemsx = A \ b;           % Preferred methodx = linsolve(A, b);  % With optionsx = inv(A) * b;      % Less efficient

For comprehensive linear algebra, see references/mathematics.md [blocked].

3. Plotting and Visualization

matlab
% 2D Plotsx = 0:0.1:2*pi;y = sin(x);plot(x, y, 'b-', 'LineWidth', 2);xlabel('x'); ylabel('sin(x)');title('Sine Wave');grid on;
% Multiple plotshold on;plot(x, cos(x), 'r--');legend('sin', 'cos');hold off;
% 3D Surface[X, Y] = meshgrid(-2:0.1:2, -2:0.1:2);Z = X.^2 + Y.^2;surf(X, Y, Z);colorbar;
% Save figuressaveas(gcf, 'plot.png');print('-dpdf', 'plot.pdf');

For complete visualization guide, see references/graphics-visualization.md [blocked].

4. Data Import/Export

matlab
% Read tabular dataT = readtable('data.csv');M = readmatrix('data.csv');
% Write datawritetable(T, 'output.csv');writematrix(M, 'output.csv');
% MAT files (MATLAB native)save('data.mat', 'A', 'B', 'C');  % Save variablesload('data.mat');                   % Load allS = load('data.mat', 'A');         % Load specific
% Imagesimg = imread('image.png');imwrite(img, 'output.jpg');

For complete I/O guide, see references/data-import-export.md [blocked].

5. Control Flow and Functions

matlab
% Conditionalsif x > 0    disp('positive');elseif x < 0    disp('negative');else    disp('zero');end
% Loopsfor i = 1:10    disp(i);end
while x > 0    x = x - 1;end
% Functions (in separate .m file or same file)function y = myfunction(x, n)    y = x.^n;end
% Anonymous functionsf = @(x) x.^2 + 2*x + 1;result = f(5);  % 36

For complete programming guide, see references/programming.md [blocked].

6. Statistics and Data Analysis

matlab
% Descriptive statisticsm = mean(data);s = std(data);v = var(data);med = median(data);[minVal, minIdx] = min(data);[maxVal, maxIdx] = max(data);
% CorrelationR = corrcoef(X, Y);C = cov(X, Y);
% Linear regressionp = polyfit(x, y, 1);  % Linear fity_fit = polyval(p, x);
% Moving statisticsy_smooth = movmean(y, 5);  % 5-point moving average

For statistics reference, see references/mathematics.md [blocked].

7. Differential Equations

matlab
% ODE solving% dy/dt = -2y, y(0) = 1f = @(t, y) -2*y;[t, y] = ode45(f, [0 5], 1);plot(t, y);
% Higher-order: y'' + 2y' + y = 0% Convert to system: y1' = y2, y2' = -2*y2 - y1f = @(t, y) [y(2); -2*y(2) - y(1)];[t, y] = ode45(f, [0 10], [1; 0]);

For ODE solvers guide, see references/mathematics.md [blocked].

8. Signal Processing

matlab
% FFTY = fft(signal);f = (0:length(Y)-1) * fs / length(Y);plot(f, abs(Y));
% Filteringb = fir1(50, 0.3);           % FIR filter designy_filtered = filter(b, 1, signal);
% Convolutiony = conv(x, h, 'same');

For signal processing, see references/mathematics.md [blocked].

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Data Analysis Pipeline

matlab
% Load datadata = readtable('experiment.csv');
% Clean datadata = rmmissing(data);  % Remove missing values
% Analyzegrouped = groupsummary(data, 'Category', 'mean', 'Value');
% Visualizefigure;bar(grouped.Category, grouped.mean_Value);xlabel('Category'); ylabel('Mean Value');title('Results by Category');
% Savewritetable(grouped, 'results.csv');saveas(gcf, 'results.png');

Pattern 2: Numerical Simulation

matlab
% ParametersL = 1; N = 100; T = 10; dt = 0.01;x = linspace(0, L, N);dx = x(2) - x(1);
% Initial conditionu = sin(pi * x);
% Time stepping (heat equation)for t = 0:dt:T    u_new = u;    for i = 2:N-1        u_new(i) = u(i) + dt/(dx^2) * (u(i+1) - 2*u(i) + u(i-1));    end    u = u_new;end
plot(x, u);

Pattern 3: Batch Processing

matlab
% Process multiple filesfiles = dir('data/*.csv');results = cell(length(files), 1);
for i = 1:length(files)    data = readtable(fullfile(files(i).folder, files(i).name));    results{i} = analyze(data);  % Custom analysis functionend
% Combine resultsall_results = vertcat(results{:});

Reference Files

  • matrices-arrays.md [blocked] - Matrix creation, indexing, manipulation, and operations
  • mathematics.md [blocked] - Linear algebra, calculus, ODEs, optimization, statistics
  • graphics-visualization.md [blocked] - 2D/3D plotting, customization, export
  • data-import-export.md [blocked] - File I/O, tables, data formats
  • programming.md [blocked] - Functions, scripts, control flow, OOP
  • python-integration.md [blocked] - Calling Python from MATLAB and vice versa
  • octave-compatibility.md [blocked] - Differences between MATLAB and GNU Octave
  • executing-scripts.md [blocked] - Executing generated scripts and for testing

GNU Octave Compatibility

GNU Octave is highly compatible with MATLAB. Most scripts work without modification. Key differences:

  • Use # or % for comments (MATLAB only %)
  • Octave allows ++, --, += operators
  • Some toolbox functions unavailable in Octave
  • Use pkg load for Octave packages

For complete compatibility guide, see references/octave-compatibility.md [blocked].

Best Practices

  1. Vectorize operations - Avoid loops when possible:

    matlab
    % Slowfor i = 1:1000    y(i) = sin(x(i));end
    % Fasty = sin(x);
  2. Preallocate arrays - Avoid growing arrays in loops:

    matlab
    % Slowfor i = 1:1000    y(i) = i^2;end
    % Fasty = zeros(1, 1000);for i = 1:1000    y(i) = i^2;end
  3. Use appropriate data types - Tables for mixed data, matrices for numeric:

    matlab
    % Numeric dataM = readmatrix('numbers.csv');
    % Mixed data with headersT = readtable('mixed.csv');
  4. Comment and document - Use function help:

    matlab
    function y = myfunction(x)%MYFUNCTION Brief description%   Y = MYFUNCTION(X) detailed description%%   Example:%       y = myfunction(5);    y = x.^2;end

Additional Resources

Source and attribution

Source:zLanqing/codex-claude-academic-skillsinscientific-toolkit-skill/references/scientific-skills/matlabat commit7ed6377

License: For MATLAB (https://www.mathworks.com/pricing-licensing.html) and for Octave (GNU General Public License version 3)

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