Symbolic Differential and Integral Calculus

Abstract

MATLAB’s Symbolic Math Toolbox module allows you to easily manipulate and operate on formulae and expressions symbolically. It is possible to expand, factor and simplify polynomials and rational and trigonometric expressions; find algebraic solutions of polynomial equations and systems of equations; evaluate derivatives and integrals symbolically; find symbolic solutions of differential equations; manipulate powers, limits and many other facets of algebraic series. To do this, MATLAB first requires that all variables (or algebraic expressions) are declared as symbolic with the command syms (or sym). For example, if we want to treat 6 *a*b + 3 *a ² + 2 *a*b as a symbolic expression and simplify it, we first need to declare the two variables a and b as symbolic as follows: