Why do I get this error message "Array indices must be positive integers or logical values."

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fyi - first time posting.
Why do I get this error message?
Array indices must be positive integers or logical values.
Error in task2testdimforxandy (line 15)
Z = x.^2*y(y-1)*(y+1)
And what would you suggest to fix?
thanks.
clear, clc
x = -1:2/9:1
y = -2:4/9:2
% create grid
for i = 1:length(x)
for j = 1:length(y)
% i is being used to step along the x axis
% j is being used to step along the y axis
% Note the ORDER of i and j when indexing
X(j,i) = x(i) % store x position
Y(j,i) = y(j) % store y position
end
end
% calculate the heights for all points on the grid
Z = x.^2*y(y-1)*(y+1)
surf(X,Y,Z)
xlabel('x')
ylabel('y')
zlabel('z')
title('x^2*y(y-1)*(y+1) using surf')
  1 Comment
the cyclist
the cyclist on 28 Aug 2020
FYI, I edited your question a bit, so that your code appears like code instead of just plain text. I did that by using the CODE section in the toolbar.

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Accepted Answer

the cyclist
the cyclist on 28 Aug 2020
Edited: the cyclist on 28 Aug 2020
You have three distinct problems in this one line of code:
Z = x.^2*y(y-1)*(y+1)
One of them is causing the error you are seeing. You'll also need to fix the other two.
  1. Where you wrote y(y-1), MATLAB thinks you are calling a function, with argument y-1. Instead, you need y.*(y-1).
  2. All of those multiplications should be element-wise rather than matrix multiplications. If you don't know what that means, read this documentation.
  3. You need X and Y here, not x and y.
Put it all together, and you need
Z = X.^2.*Y.*(Y-1).*(Y+1);
  3 Comments
Stephen23
Stephen23 on 28 Aug 2020
"Where you wrote y(y-1), MATLAB thinks you are calling a function..."
The error message tells us that MATLAB is attempting to index into a variable, not call a function.
the cyclist
the cyclist on 28 Aug 2020
@Samuel:
Stephen is correct here, and it's worth thinking about the difference there. I mainly intended to explain that the y(y-1) syntax, which is usual for multiplication in mathematics, means something different in MATLAB. But I got the "something different" wrong. :-)
Also, is this a homework assignment? It's starting to sound like a homework assignment.

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More Answers (1)

James Tursa
James Tursa on 28 Aug 2020
Edited: James Tursa on 28 Aug 2020
You forgot to multiply between the y and (y-1)
Z = x(:).^2.*y.*(y-1).*(y+1);
Also, make sure to use element-wise operators (with the dot). And to get a matrix result for Z, make one of x or y a column vector (I did that by using the x(:) syntax).
The syntax you were using, namely y(y-1), is interpreted by MATLAB as meaning you are trying to index into the y vector using y-1 as the element index ... hence the error message.

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