Zero Matrices in Matlab

In this lesson, I will explain how to generate a zero matrix or null matrix.

What is a zero matrix? A matrix is considered a zero matrix when all of its elements are set to zero. For example, the following matrix is a zero matrix: $$ M = \begin{pmatrix} 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix} $$ Zero matrices can have either square or rectangular shapes.

To create a zero matrix in Matlab, you can use the built-in function called zeros().

zeros(n)

The argument 'n' in the zeros() function specifies the number of rows and columns for the zero matrix.

Let's take a look at a practical example.

Type zeros(3) to generate a square zero matrix with 3 rows and 3 columns.

>> zeros(3)
ans =
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0

Now, if you type zeros(2,3), you can create a rectangular zero matrix with 2 rows and 3 columns.

In this case, the first parameter of the zeros() function represents the number of rows, while the second parameter represents the number of columns for the matrix.

>> zeros(2,3)
ans =
0 0 0
0 0 0

Alternatively, you can create a rectangular zero matrix with 3 rows and 2 columns by swapping the parameters.

For example, type zeros(3,2)

>> zeros(3,2)
ans =
0 0
0 0
0 0

Using the zeros() function, you can create zero matrices of any size and shape in Matlab.

Note. Manual definition of a zero matrix by setting all elements to zero is also possible.

However, this approach can be time-consuming and error-prone, especially for large zero matrices. Therefore, it is recommended to use the zeros() function for creating zero matrices in Matlab.