write a computer program that finds all the isolated primes between 50 and 100. Do not use MATLAB's built in function isprime.

Here is what I started with to find the prime numbers

for a=50:100
    if rem(a,2:a/2)~=0
       disp(a)   
    end
end

I edited my code to look like this and I am getting no answers. I am a bit lost as to why it is not working.

for a=50:100;
    if rem(a,2:a/2)~=0;
      b=a+2;
      c=a-2;
        if rem(b,2:b/2)==0;
           if rem(c,2:c/2)==0;
              disp(a)
           end
        end
    end
end

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

While if does accept vectors for the condition, using vectors often causes problems like this. When the if condition is a vector then all of its elements must be true for the if to execute the code inside the if. In the first usage you were lucky:

if rem(a,2:a/2)~=0;

this works because for prime numbers all of them a remainder zero. But in your other usages, e.g.

if rem(b,2:b/2)==0;

it will not be the case that all of the elements of that condition vector would be true, therefore those if never execute the code inside them.

The if help explains it thus: "An expression is true when its result is nonempty and contains only nonzero elements...": is this the case when you are trying to detect the b and c values? No, it is not, because some of the elements will be false.

The solution is simple: always write an explicit all or any when using a vector with if, because it makes the intention clear, and avoids bugs like this (and it will fix your bug, when pick the correct one). I would recommend that you do not use two nested if's: just use one if with a logical &&:

if ... && ...
   disp(...)
end

[Brian Rreid]

That helps a bit, but I am still pretty lost. Is there a way I can take each output and put it in a new vector, then I would be able to use that vector to compare the numbers next to eachother?

[Brian Rreid]

for a=50:100 
    if rem(a,2:a/2)~=0 
        b(a)=a       
    end 
end

except without the zeros

[Stephen23]

cnt = 0;
for a = 50:100 
    if rem(a,2:a/2)~=0
        cnt = cnt+1;
        b(cnt) = a;
    end 
end