how to calculate a derivative

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Nasir Qazi
Nasir Qazi on 26 Feb 2012
Commented: Steven Lord on 12 May 2025
can some one guide me how to calculate a derivative and integration in matlab . can you please give a little example.

Accepted Answer

bym
bym on 26 Feb 2012
Symbolically
syms x real
f = 1/x
int(f,1,2) % integration
ans =
log(2)
diff(f) %differentiation
ans =
-1/x^2
[edit - amplification]
syms x a b real positive
f = 1/x
f =
1/x
int(f) % without limits
ans =
log(x)
int(f,a,b) % with limits
ans =
log(b) - log(a)
fn = matlabFunction(f) % convert symbolic to anonymous function
fn =
@(x)1./x
quadgk(fn,1,2) % integrate numerically
ans =
0.6931
log(2) % previous result from symbolic integration
ans =
0.6931
(fn(2+1e-6)-fn(2))/1e-6 %numerical derivative at fn(2)
ans =
-0.2500
subs(diff(f),2) %substitute 2 into symbolic result previously obtained
ans =
-0.2500
  5 Comments
Jan
Jan on 27 Feb 2012
Yes, Nasir, then the integral is calculated from 1 to 2. "Symbolically" mean calculations with symbols, usually characters. The result is a formula. "Numerically" means, that you calculate a numerical value, a number.
Sergio E. Obando
Sergio E. Obando on 15 Jun 2024
Just here to suggest some recent resources, There is a nice section in the Symbolic Math Toolbox with additional examples for differentiation as well as a FEX curriculum on this topic:

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More Answers (3)

Magdalena Glinska
Magdalena Glinska on 16 Nov 2020
f = @(x) sin(x);
second_derivative_f = matlabFunction(diff(sym(f)));

Hamza saeed khan
Hamza saeed khan on 24 Nov 2020
syms x
f = x;
diff(f,x)
why this code give me error as;
>>Error in diff (line 1)
syms x
  4 Comments
belvia
belvia on 12 May 2025

même chez moi le diff là ne donne pas

Steven Lord
Steven Lord on 12 May 2025
"même chez moi le diff là ne donne pas"
Please show us the exact code you're running and all the text displayed in red in the Command Window (and if there are any warning messages displayed in orange, please show us those too) that you see when you run that code. The exact text may be useful and/or necessary to determine what's going on and how to avoid the warning and/or error.

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Achimsettythanmay
Achimsettythanmay on 14 Nov 2022
Edited: Walter Roberson on 15 Nov 2022
syms x real
f = 1/x
f = 
int(f,1,2) % integration
ans = 
diff(f) %differentiation
ans = 

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