Skip to main content

MA 310 Mathematical Programming 2 - Fall 2025

Dr. Geoffrey Cox (LTC)

Section Homework 1

Before you begin ...
  • DO NOT use AI for any part of this problem.
    🔗
  • Review the Policies before you begin.
    🔗
  • Follow the Submitting Work before you begin.
    🔗
  • Do not use any built-in MATLAB commands unless specified below.
    🔗
  • Exercises labeled as a “Function”, should use the Function Template.
    🔗
  • Exercises labeled as a “Script”, should use the Script Template.
    🔗
  • Name the file function_name.m, where each function_name is listed below.
    🔗
  • Upload each of these files to the homework page on Canvas. No zip files.
    🔗
  • The due date is specified on Canvas
    🔗
🔗

Permitted MATLAB Functions & Commands for Homework 1.

The following built-in MATLAB functions and commands are permitted for this assignment.
🔗
Vector/Matrix
🔗
Operations:
🔗
round • mod • floor • ceil
🔗
Size/Dimensions:
🔗
length • numel • size • height • width
🔗
Creation:
🔗
zeros • ones • true • false
🔗
Logical:
🔗
all • any
🔗
🔗
Flow Control
🔗
Conditional:
🔗
if • switch-case • try-catch
🔗
Loops:
🔗
for • while • continue • break • return
🔗
🔗
Strings and Character Arrays
🔗
Operations:
🔗
join • replace
🔗
Conversion:
🔗
num2str • str2num • str2double • string • char
🔗
🔗
Other
🔗
Printing Text:
🔗
fprintf • disp • display • input • assert
🔗
Random Generators:
🔗
rand • randi • rng
🔗
Special Variables:
🔗
nargin
🔗
Type Detection:
🔗
isnan • isfield • isempty
🔗
🔗
Points will be deducted from any programs using functions outside this list.
🔗
🔗

Subsection list_sum

Returns the sum of all the numbers in a list.
🔗
Inputs:
list (1 x N) double vector.
🔗
Outputs:
total_sum (1x1) double — sum of the values in list
🔗
Details:
▸ Use numel, size, or length to get the number of values in the list.
🔗
▸ Use a for or while loop to code this.
🔗
▸ Do NOT use MATLAB’s sum command.
🔗
Examples: 
S = list_sum([2 1 3 -1])
% should return S = 5

S = list_sum([-2 1 0 -8 10 9 0 3.22 9 -1 -100 9.54])
% should return S = -69.2400
🔗
🔗

Subsection list_is_nonnegative

Returns true if a list contains no negative numbers. The list may have any length.
🔗
Inputs:
list (1 x N) — list of numeric values (doubles)
🔗
Outputs:
result (1x1) — true if list has no negative numbers
🔗
Details:
▸ Use numel, size, or length to get the number of values in the list.
🔗
▸ Use a for or while loop together with an if-statement.
🔗
▸ No other built-in MATLAB commands are allowed.
🔗
▸ Zero is a non-negative number.
🔗
Examples: 
result = list_is_nonnegative([111 -90 20 66 -167 42])
% returns false (0)

result = list_is_nonnegative([1 1 1 0 1 2 3 9 7 5 0 9 9 4])
% returns true  (1)
🔗
🔗

Subsection list_occurrences

Returns the number of times a number occurs in a given list of numbers.
Inputs:
list (1 x N) double vector
🔗
num (1x1) double — number we are looking for in list
🔗
Outputs:
num_count (1x1) integer — number of times num occurs in list
🔗
Details:
▸ Use numel, size, or length to get the number of values in the list.
🔗
▸ Use a for or while loop together with an if-statement.
🔗
▸ No other built-in MATLAB commands are allowed.
🔗
🔗
Examples: 
num_count = list_occurrences([1 1 1 -9 0 0 6 6 -1 6 7 1 2], 1)
% returns 4

num_count = list_occurrences([1 1 1 -9 0 0 6 6 -1 6 7 1 2], -6)
% returns 0
🔗
🔗

Subsection list_sign_change_count

Returns the number of times consecutive numbers have a different sign in the list.
🔗
Inputs:
list (1 x N) double vector
🔗
Outputs:
count (1x1) integer — number of sign changes in list
🔗
Details:
▸ Use length to get the number of values in the list.
🔗
▸ Use a for or while loop together with an if-statement.
🔗
▸ Changing from a positive or negative to a zero does not count as a change of sign.
🔗
▸ Only count changes between adjacent numbers.
🔗
Examples: 
count = list_sign_change_count([1 -1 1 -9 6 6 -1 -2 4])
% returns 6

count = list_sign_change_count([1 1 1 -9 0 0 6 6 -1 6 7 1 2])
% returns 3
🔗
🔗

Subsection get_direction

Returns an object’s direction given two 2D positions \((x,y)\text{:}\) the initial position position_old and the final position position_new. The direction must be one of the eight cardinal directions:
🔗
'N', 'S', 'E', 'W', 'NE', 'NW', 'SE', 'SW'.
🔗
Inputs:
position_old (1 x 2) double vector — contains the (x, y)-coordinates of the initial position
🔗
position_new (1 x 2) double vector — contains the (x, y)-coordinates of the final position
🔗
Outputs:
direction (1x1) or (1 x 2) character vector — indicating the movement direction
🔗
Details:
▸ If position_old equals position_new, return the empty string ''.
🔗
▸ Any movement in a primary direction should be reflected (for example, moving 10 units north and only 0.1 units west should return 'NW')
🔗
▸ Use an if-statement.
🔗
Examples: 
direction = get_direction([2 1], [3 1])
% returns 'E'

direction = get_direction([-2 1], [0 -8])
% returns 'SE'

direction = get_direction([8 -2], [-2 5])
% returns 'NW'

direction = get_direction([0 -2], [0 -2])
% returns ''
🔗
🔗
🔗
PrevTopNext