Conditional Statements & Loops

Lecture: 9 (Dr. Ajeet Kumar)

Table of Contents

Conditional Statements............................................................................................................................................1
The if Statement.................................................................................................................................................. 1
The else Statement............................................................................................................................................. 2
The elseif Statement............................................................................................................................................3
Loops........................................................................................................................................................................4
for Loops:............................................................................................................................................................. 4
loop_variable is scaler..................................................................................................................................... 5
loop_variable is matrix..................................................................................................................................... 5
while Loops:......................................................................................................................................................... 8
continue and break statement............................................................................................................................. 9
switch Structure..................................................................................................................................................... 10

Conditional Statements
Conditional statements enable the Matlab to write decision making programs along with relational and logical
operators.

Conditional statements contain one or more of if, else and elseif statement.

The if Statement
Syntax of the if statement's is

if logical expression

statements

end

Problem: 1. Write a program to compute the square root of positive numbers and should not take any action
for negative numbers.

% Prob 1: write a program to compute the square root of positive numbers and should
% not take any action for negative numbers
clear all
x=input('enter the no to calculate the square root: ');
if x>=0
y=sqrt(x);
disp(['square root of number x = ',num2str(x), ' is ', num2str(y)])
end

square root of number x = 5 is 2.2361

1
Problem: 2. Calculate the functional value , for

% Prob 2: logical expression is compound expression (x>=0 & y>=0) then calculate
% sqrt(x)+sqrt(y)
clear all
x=2;y=4; % check with other input x=-4,y=5
if (x>=0) & (y>=0)
z=sqrt(x)+sqrt(y)
end

z = 3.4142

The else Statement

When more than one action can occur as a result of a decision, we can use else and elseif statement along
with if statement.

Syntax of the else statement's is

if logical expression

statements

else

statements

end

Problem: 3. Write a program to find out the functional value of function y

% Prob 3: y=sqrt(x) for x>=0 and y=exp(x)-1 for x<0

clear all;
x=-5;
if x<0
y=exp(x)-1
else
y=sqrt(x)
end

y = -0.9933

Problem: 4. Write a program to calculate the square root of the array, if all elemnets are positive/zero
number, else calculate the square of the number.

Input should be in form of row vector.

% Prob 4: y=sqrt(x) for x>=0, take x as an array having positive and negative numbers.
% Test returns a value of TRUE (logical 1) if all the elements of the logical
% expression are true else FALSE (logical 0)

2
 clear all
x=[2 -4]; % check with another input [1 3 5]
if x>=0
y=sqrt(x)
else
y=x.^2
end

y = 1×2
4 16

The elseif Statement

Syntax of the else statement's is

if logical expression_1

statements_1

elseif logical expression_2

statements_2

elseif logical expression_3

statements_3

else

statements_4

end

Problem: 5. Calculate functional value of function the y as per below mentioned condition

% Prob 5: y=ln x for x>=5 and y=sqrt(x) for 0<=x<5 % One can use nested
% if loop or simple elseif statement.
x=4;
if (x>=0)&(x<5)
y=sqrt(x)
elseif x>=5
y=log(x)
end

y = 2

3
Problem: 6. Calculate functional value of function the y as per below mentioned condition

% Prob 6: y=ln x for x>=10 and y=sqrt(x) for 0<=x<10, y=exp(x)-1 for x<0
x=10;
if x<0
y=exp(x)-1
elseif (x>=0) & (x<10)
y=sqrt(x)
else
y=log(x)
end

y = 2.3026

Loops
Number of times, we came across the condition where you need to perform same operation more than one
time. A Loop is a structure for solving this type of problem in simpler way.

MATLAB uses two types of explicit loops

• for loop
• while loop

for Loops:
for loop is used when it is well known that how many times this operation needs to perform.

Syntax

for loop_variable= str: inc: term

Statements

end

Loop variable may be scaler, vector or matrix, however, in most general case, it is a scaler.

loop_variable: This is the variable whose value will change during every loop. This variable will actually run
the loop.

str: Referred as starting value of loop_variable. This is the first assigned value of loop_variable.

inc: Referred as increment in the loop_variable during each run of loop. Increament may be positive and
negative.

term: Referred as terminating value of loop_variable.

Every for loop completes with one end statement.

One run of loop is referred as PASS

4
loop_variable is scaler
Problem: 7. Write a matlab script file to calculate the sum of first 20 terms of the
series .

% Prob 7: Write a program to compute the sum of first 20 terms in the series
% 3m^3+2m^2-6m, m= 1,2,3....20
% loop_variable is scaler
clear all;
for m=1:1:20
y(m)=3*m^3+2*m^2-6*m;
end
total_sum=sum(y)

total_sum = 136780

loop_variable is matrix
In each run, loop_variable will take column wise value. If A is a matrix of 3-by-3. In first run of for loop, first
column of the matrix will be assigned with loop_variable. In second run, 2nd column of the matrix will be
assigned with loop_variable and so on.

Problem: 8. (a) Write a script file where loop_variable is matrix. See the effect of operator during loop.

(b) There are five points P (2,-1), Q(-2, -2), R (3, 5), T (-3, -2) and U (2.5, -1.1). Find the coordinate of the
points having minimum distance from the Centre O (0,0).

% Prob 8 (a): Define a matrix and assigned it as loop variable

% loop_variable is matrix. Take a 3-by-3 matrix
A=[1 2 3; 4 5 6; 7 8 9]

A = 3×3
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

for i=A
y=i.^2 % see the output, in each pass "i" takes values of the Matrix A columnwise
% In first pass: first column, 2nd Pass:second column and so on
end

y = 3×1
1
16
49
y = 3×1
4
25
64
y = 3×1
9
36
81

5
% Prob 8 (b)..... METHOD: 1 (SAVING OUTPUT USING NULL MATRIX)
% RUN PROGRAM BY WRITING A SCRIPT FILE AND CALCULATE COMPUTATION TIME
% tic, toc is used to calculate computation time.
clear all;
tic
A=[2 -2 3 -3 2.5; -1 -2 5 -2 -1.1]; % 1st row: x-coordinate, 2nd row: y-coordinate
distance=[]; % defined to save the output
for i=A
distance=[distance i.^2];
end
distance=sqrt(sum(distance)); % CALCULATE DISTANCE OF EACH POINT FROM CENTRE "O"
[min_dist, index]=min(distance);
if index==1
disp(['Point P is closest point from centre O at distance = ',num2str(min_dist),' unit'])
elseif index==2
disp(['Point Q is closest point from centre O at distance = ',num2str(min_dist), ' unit'])
elseif index==3
disp(['Point R is closest point from centre O at distance = ',num2str(min_dist), ' unit'])
elseif index==4
disp(['Point T is closest point from centre O at distance = ',num2str(min_dist), ' unit'])
else
disp(['Point U is closest point from centre O at distance = ',num2str(min_dist), ' unit'])
end

Point P is closest point from centre O at distance = 2.2361 unit

toc

Elapsed time is 0.097207 seconds.

% Prob 8 (b)..... METHOD: 2 (SAVING OUTPUT USING zeros/ones MATRIX)

% INORDER TO COMPARE THE ACTUAL RUN TIME WITH METHOD 1, EXECUTE THE PROG IN SCRIPT FILE
% tic, toc is used to calculate computation time.
clear all;
tic
A=[2 -2 3 -3 2.5; -1 -2 5 -2 -1.1]; % 1st row: x-coordinate, 2nd row: y-coordinate
distance=zeros(2,5); % defined to save the output
k=1;
for i=A
distance(:,k)= i.^2; % IN EACH PASS, ZEROS OF ONE COLUMN IS REPLACED BY SQUARE VALUE
k=k+1; % k=1, 1ST COLUMN, k=2, 2nd column and so on
end
distance=sqrt(sum(distance));
[min_dist, index]=min(distance);
if index==1

6
 disp(['Point P is closest point from centre O at distance = ',num2str(min_dist),' unit'])
elseif index==2
disp(['Point Q is closest point from centre O at distance = ',num2str(min_dist), ' unit'])
elseif index==3
disp(['Point R is closest point from centre O at distance = ',num2str(min_dist), ' unit'])
elseif index==4
disp(['Point T is closest point from centre O at distance = ',num2str(min_dist), ' unit'])
else
disp(['Point U is closest point from centre O at distance = ',num2str(min_dist), ' unit'])
end

Point P is closest point from centre O at distance = 2.2361 unit

toc

Elapsed time is 0.112828 seconds.

Problem: 9. Write a script file to plot the function:

for

% prob 9: plot the function: y=15

x=-5:0.05:30;

for m=1:length(x)
if x(m)<0
y(m)=10;
elseif (x(m)>=0)&(x(m)<9)
y(m)=10*x(m)+10;
else
y(m)=15*sqrt(4*x(m))+10;
end
end
plot(x,y)

7
while Loops:
while loop is used when a same operation needs to be done unless and untill a given condition is satisfied.

Syntax

while condition

Statements

end

Condition: 1. Loop variable must have a value before the while statement

Condition: 2. Loop variable must be changed somehow by the statements

Problem: 10

Write a script file to determine how many terms are required for the sum of the series , k=1,2,3..... to
exceed 1500.

What is the sum for this many terms?

% Prob 10:
clear all
sum_ser=0.0;
k=0;
term=[];
while sum_ser<=1500
8
 k=k+1;
sum_ser=sum_ser+(5*k^2-2*k);
term=[term; k sum_ser];
end
term

term = 10×2
1 3
2 19
3 58
4 130
5 245
6 413
7 644
8 948
9 1335
10 1815

disp(['required terms = ',num2str(k)])

required terms = 10

disp(['sum of k = ' num2str(k), ' term is ',num2str(sum_ser) ])

sum of k = 10 term is 1815

continue and break statement

continue and break commands along with if-statement used to control for and while loops.

continue: This command along with if-statement, is used to pass the calculation just for the current
loop_variable value and send the control for the next value of loop_variable. This command does not
terminate the current loop.

break: This statement along with if-statement, break the current loop and stop processing of current loop.

9
Problem: 11. Write a program to print the following output.

switch Structure
This provides an alternative way to write a program without using if-else-elseif commands. In some cases,
it looks better to use switch structure over if structure. However, switch-structure can be used along with if-
structure.

Syntax:

switch case_expression

10
 case value1

statement 1

case value 2

statement 2

case value 3

statement 3

otherwise

statement

end

• case_expression can be either numeric or string constants.

• case_expression is compared with each case value. If they are same, then the statement following
that case will be executed.
• The statement under other cases are not executed. If none of the case value matches with
case_expression, the block of the statement under otherwise section is executed. Using end
statement complete the switch structure.
• otherwise section is an optional statement.

Problem: 12. Write a program which ask the user to enter two matrices and choice of array operation to
perfrom between these matrices.

%
clear all
A=input('enter the matrix A: ');
B=input('énter the matrix B: ');

disp('Choose 1 for array addition');

Choose 1 for array addition

disp('Choose 2 for array subtraction');

Choose 2 for array subtraction

disp ('Choose 3 for array multiplication');

Choose 3 for array multiplication

disp('Choose 4 for array right division');

Choose 4 for array right division

disp('Choose 5 for array left division');

Choose 5 for array left division

11
op=input('enter the value to choose the array operation: ');

switch op
case 1
C=A+B
case 2
C=A-B
case 3
C=A.*B
case 4
C=A./B
case 5
C=A.\B
end

C = 1×2
3 8

12