Getting started with Matlab

Info compiled in Sept2010 by J. Gaspar

"You don't learn Matlab, you simply use Matlab", [unknown author]

This is a very valid sentence as Matlab has dozens of toolboxes, each having 100~200 utility functions. In other words, Matlab has thousands of functions. Having this said, it is only natural, and expected, that even expert users of Matlab do not know all the functions of Matlab. But they know that from their objective to a Matlab command may be just a question of using Matlab's help or simply googling.

Ok, but you still need some kind of intro to Matlab. Then, let's try to gather some references, that can be found on the Internet.

1- Highly recommended, watch the video done by the Mathworks, "Getting Started with MATLAB - MATLAB Video":

http://www.mathworks.com/demos/matlab/getting-started-with-matlab-video-tutorial.html

2- Text documents

At the time of writing this webpage, Matlab is in version 7.11, R2010b (3Sept 2010). But some old primers are still very helpful to understand the basics of Matlab. For example "Matlab primer", 3rd ed., by Prof. Kermit Sigmon, is based on Matlab 4.x (1992~1994):

http://www.math.toronto.edu/mpugh/primer.pdf (click here for a local copy)

Another "Matlab primer", by Prof. Brian Storey, 2004, can be found in:

http://faculty.olin.edu/bstorey/Notes/matlab.pdf (click here for a local copy)

Another link, to the Mathworks primer can be found in:

http://www.math.ist.utl.pt/~ssv/exames_an/Matlab%207%20-%20Getting%20started%20guide.pdf

3- A final bookstore reference in the specific case you are studying image processing

In this case, there is a very practical book, involving one of the authors of Matlab's Image Proecssing toolbox. The book has a very small introduction to Matlab, and then specific introductions to many digital image processing aspects.

Book reference:

"Digital Image Processing Using MATLAB", 2nd ed, Rafael C. Gonzalez, Richard E. Woods, Steven L. Eddins, Prentice Hall.