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Stuck on a Coursera “Introduction to Programming with MATLAB” assignment? Get help without spoiling the learning process! This blog post offers guidance and explanations for concepts covered in the course, not just straight-up answers. Strengthen your programming foundation with MATLAB!

This course is perfect for beginners with no programming experience. MATLAB is a user-friendly language ideal for engineers and other professionals because it’s powerful for numerical problems. Even complex problems can be solved with concise MATLAB code, compared to more general-purpose languages.

MATLAB is widely used across science, engineering, finance, and more, making it a valuable skill for many careers.

There are 9 modules in the course “Introduction to Programming with MATLAB”

1. Course Pages
2. The MATLAB Environment
3. Matrices and Operators
4. Functions
5. Programmer’s Toolbox
6. Selection
7. Loops
8. Data Types
9. File Input/Output

Week 1 – Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

No Assignments or Quiz

Week 2 – Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

Week 2 Quiz

No quiz

Week 2 Assignments

Assignment: MATLAB Calculation Code

principal = 1000;
alpha = 0.1;
debt = principal * (1 + alpha) ^ 2;
disp(debt);

Assignment: Lesson 1 Wrap-up Code

time = 9.58 / 3600;
distance = 0.1;
hundred = distance / time;

distance = 42.195;
time = 2 + 1 / 60 + 39 / 3600;
marathon = distance / time;

Week 3 – Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

Week 3 Quiz

1. The value of a after this command: a = [0; 0; 1]’ * [1 2 3; 4 5 6; 7 8 9]

• [3 ; 6 ; 9]
• [7, 8 , 9]
• [3 , 6 , 9]
• [7 ; 8; 9]

2. What will be the value of s after this command: A = [1:4; -2:2:5; 3 1 0 -1]; s = A(end-1,end-1);

• 0
• 2
• We get an error message.
• -1

3. Which of the following is a valid variable name?

• All of the options above are invalid.
• 5x2x3x
• I_Hate_This_Quiz_So_Much
• MATLAB_Rulez!

4. After this command: v = 111:-11:1; how many elements will v have?

• 0
• 10
• 11
• 1

5. In MATLAB, operators work on:

• arguments
• a tight schedule
• associations
• operands

6. The variable t after these commands v = 1:3:33; t = v(end) will be:

• 33
• 32
• 31
• None of the above.

7. The variable t after these commands t = (16:-4:1) ‘ .^ 2 will be

• a 4-element vector
• a 4×4 matrix
• a scalar
• None of the above. MATLAB will print an error message.

8. The value of p after this command: A = [1:4; 5:8; 9:12]; p = size(A);

• will be 12
• will be a 3-by-4 matrix
• will be a 2-element vector
• 4

9. Matrix multiplication works if its two operands

• are vectors; specifically, the first one is a column vector and the second one is a row vector of any length.
• are scalars.
• are square matrices of the same size.
• The first and second options are correct.
• The second and third options are correct.
• All of the options are correct.

10. Array multiplication works if the two operands

• are vectors.
• have the same inner dimensions.
• have the same outer dimension.
• are square matrices of the same size.

Week 3 Assignments:

Assignment: Colon Operator Code:

odds = 1:2:100;
evens = 100:-2:1;

Assignment: Matrix Indexing Code:

A = [1:5; 6:10; 11:15; 16:20];
v = A(:, 2);
A(end, :) = 0;

Assignment: Matrix Arithmetic Code:

A = [1:5; 6:10; 11:15; 16:20];
A1 = ones(1, size(A, 1));
B1 = ones(size(A, 2), 1);
result = A1 * A * B1 ;

Week 4 – Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

Week 4 Quiz:

No Quiz

Week 4 Assignments:

Assignment: A Simple Function Code

function a = tri_area(b, h)
    a = 0.5 * b * h;
end

Assignment: Multiple Outputs Code

function [a, b, c, d] = corners(M)
    a = M(1, 1);
    b = M(1, end);
    c = M(end, 1);
    d = M(end, end)
end

Assignment: Lesson 3 Wrap-up Code

function fare = taxi_fare(distance, time)
    fare = 5 + 2 * (ceil(distance) - 1) + 0.25 * ceil(time);
end

Week 5 – Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

Week 5 Quiz

No quiz

Week 5 Assignments:

Assignment: Built-in functions Code

function [max_min_diff, total_max_min_diff] = minimax(M)
    max_rows = max(M');
    min_rows = min(M');
    max_min_diff = max_rows - min_rows;
    total_max_min_diff = max(max_rows) - min(min_rows);
end

Assignment: Lesson 4 Wrap-up Code

function M = trio(n, m)
    M = ones(3 * n, m);
    M(n + 1 : 2 * n, :) = 2 * ones(n, m);
    M(2 * n + 1 : end, :) = 3 * ones(n, m);
end

Week 6 – Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

Week 6 Quiz:

No quiz

Week 6 Assignments:

Assignment: If-statement practice Code

function output = picker(condition, input1, input2)
    if condition
        output = input1;
    else
        output = input2;
    end
end

Assignment: More practice Code

function admit = eligible(verbal, quant)
    admit = mean([verbal quant]) >= 92 && verbal > 88 && quant > 88;
end

Assignment: nargin Code

function too_young = under_age(age, limit)
    if nargin == 1
        limit = 21;
    end
    too_young = age < limit;
end

Assignment: Lesson 5 Wrap-up Code

function valid = valid_date(y,m,d)
    if nargin == 3
        if ~isscalar(y) || y < 1 || y ~= fix(y)
            valid = false;
            return
        elseif ~isscalar(m) || m < 1 || m ~= fix(m)
            valid = false;
            return
        elseif ~isscalar(d) || d < 1 || d ~= fix(d)
            valid = false;
            return
        end
    end
    a=y/4;b=y/400;c=y/100;
    M1 = [1 3 5 7 8 10 12];
    M2 = [4,6,9,11];
    F1 = (1:29);
    F2 = (1:28);
    D1 = (1:31);
    D2=(1:30);
    if a ~= fix(a) || (b ~= fix(b) && c == fix(c))
        if ismember(m,M1) && ismember(d,D1)
                valid = true;
        elseif ismember(m,M2) && ismember(d,D2)
                valid = true;
        elseif m==2 && ismember(d,F2)
                valid = true;
        else
            valid = false;
        end
    elseif a == fix(a) || b == fix(b)
        if ismember(m,M1) && ismember(d,D1)
                valid = true;
        elseif ismember(m,M2) && ismember(d,D2)
                valid = true;
        elseif m==2 && ismember(d,F1)
                valid = true;
        else
            valid = false;
        end   
    end
end 

Week 7 – Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

Week 7 Quiz

No quiz

Week 7 Assignments

Assignment: for-loop practice Code

function s = halfsum(M)
   [n, m] = size(M);
   s = 0;
   for row = 1:n
       for column = row:m
           s = s + M(row, column);
       end
   end
end

Assignment: while-loop practice Code

function number = next_prime(number)
    while ~isprime(number + 1)
        number = number + 1;
    end
    number = number + 1;
end

Assignment: Logical Indexing Code

function count = freezing(temperatures)
    count = sum(temperatures < 32);
end

Assignment: Lesson 6 Wrap-up Code

function [summa, index] = max_sum(v, n)
    [~, len] = size(v);
    summa = -inf;
    if n > len
        summa = 0;
    end
    index = -1;
    for i = 1:(len - n + 1)
        s = sum(v(i : i + n - 1));
        if s > summa
            summa = s;
            index = i;
        end
    end
end

Week 8 – Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

Week 8 Quiz

No quiz

Week 8 Assignments:

Assignment: Character Vectors Code

function coded = caesar(sequence, shift)
    sequence = double(sequence);
    sequence = sequence + shift;
    coded = char(loop(32, 126, sequence));
end

function val = loop(start, stop, val)
    r = stop - start + 1;
    val = mod(val - start + r, r) + start;
end

Assignment: Using Cell Arrays Code

function matrix = sparse2matrix(sparse_matrix)
    dimensions = cell2mat(sparse_matrix(1));
    n = dimensions(1); m = dimensions(2);
    default = cell2mat(sparse_matrix(2));
    matrix = default * ones(n, m);
    
    [~, len] = size(sparse_matrix);
    for i = 3:len
       element = cell2mat(sparse_matrix(i));
       matrix(element(1), element(2)) = element(3);
    end
end

Week 9 – Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

Week 9 Quiz

No quiz

Week 9 Assignments:

Assignment: Excel Files Code

function distance = get_distance(x,y)
    persistent raw;
    if isempty(raw)
        [~, ~, raw] = xlsread('Distances.xlsx');
    end
    
    state1_index = state2index(raw, x);
    state2_index = state2index(raw, y);
    
    if state1_index > 1 && state2_index > 1
        distance = cell2mat(raw(state1_index, state2_index));
    else 
        distance = -1;
    end
end

function index = state2index(raw, state)
    [~, states] = size(raw);
    index = -1;
    for i = 2:states
        if strcmp(cell2mat(raw(1, i)), state)
            index = i;
        end
    end
end

Assignment: Text Files Code

function charnum = char_counter(file_name, character)
    file = fopen(file_name, 'rt');
    if file < 0 || ~ischar(character)
        charnum = -1;
        return;
    end
    
    charnum = 0;
    line = fgets(file);
    while ischar(line)
        charnum = charnum + frequency(line, character);
        line = fgets(file);
    end
end

function count = frequency(line, character)
    count = sum(line == character);
end

Assignment: Saddle Points Code

function indices = saddle(M)
    indices = zeros(0, 2);
    [rows, columns] = size(M);
    for row = 1:rows
        for column = 1 : columns
            point = M(row, column);
            if isGreaterThan(point, M(row, :)) && isSmallerThan(point, M(:, column))
                indices(end + 1, :) = [row, column]; %#ok<AGROW>
            end
        end
    end
end

function predicate = isGreaterThan(point, vector) 
    predicate = sum(point >= vector) == length(vector);
end

function predicate = isSmallerThan(point, vector)
    predicate = sum(point <= vector) == length(vector);
end

Assignment: Image Blur Code

function [output] = blur(A, w)
    [rows, columns] = size(A);
    B = nan(size(A) + 2 * w);
    B(w + 1 : end - w, w + 1 : end - w) = A;
    output = 0 * A;
    
    for i = w + 1 : rows + w
      for j = w + 1 : columns + w
        tmp = B(i - w : i + w, j - w : j + w);
        output(i - w, j - w) = mean(tmp(~isnan(tmp)));
      end
    end
end

Assignment: Echo Generator Code

function output = echo_gen(in,fs,delay,gain)
    samples = round(fs * delay) ;
    ds = floor(samples);
    signal = zeros(length(in) + ds, 1);
    signal(1:length(in)) = in;
    echo_signal = zeros(length(in) + ds, 1);
    echo_signal(ds + (1:length(in*gain))) = in * gain;
    output = signal + echo_signal;
    p = max(abs(output));
    if p > 1
        output = output ./ p;
    end
end

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