• Start Matlab.  You will get a command line workspace with a prompt >> .
• You can issue commands and assign values to variables after this prompt.  To define a variable a, and give it a value of 17, do the following
• Type a = 17
• Observe that you will get a message that a is now given the value of 17.
• To suppress the print message add a semi-colon, i.e. type a = 17;,
• You can perform arithmetic operations on variables and constants.  Operations include:
• + Addition
• - Subtraction
• * Multiplication
• / Divison
• ^ Exponentiation
• You can also define arrays.  Define an array by using square braces and spaces between values.
• Type Den = [1 3 2 0].
• Note you get the values printed.  To suppress the print add a semi-colon.
• You can use an array to represent a polynomial, like a numerator or denominator polynomial in a transfer function.  When you do that, Matlab assumes that the first entry in the array is the coefficient of the highest power, so Den (above) would represent:
• s³ + 3s² + 2s +0
• You can get a listing of all the variables in your workspace by entering a whos command.  That gives you a listing of the variables and the memory they occupy.  Dropping the "s" just gives you the variables.  (Clearly Matlab was initially designed when memory space was much more precious.