how to calculate a derivative

can some one guide me how to calculate a derivative and integration in matlab . can you please give a little example.

 Accepted Answer

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

inside int(f,1,2) what exactly this 1,2 stand for in here. 2ndly what do you means by symbolically of numerically .?, right and wht if we have limits in integration, how can we solve that expression .?
int(f,1,2) is integrate the symbolic expression f over the definite interval from 1 to 2.
in case of limits in integration then ?
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.
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)

f = @(x) sin(x);
second_derivative_f = matlabFunction(diff(sym(f)));
syms x
f = x;
diff(f,x)
why this code give me error as;
>>Error in diff (line 1)
syms x

4 Comments

You probably do not have the symbolic toolbox installed or licensed.
Also, you accidentally named your script diff.m which is going to conflict with calling diff() to differentiate.

même chez moi le diff là ne donne pas

"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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syms x real
f = 1/x
f = 
int(f,1,2) % integration
ans = 
diff(f) %differentiation
ans = 

Asked:

on 26 Feb 2012

Commented:

on 12 May 2025

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