How to declare larger Matrix?

Questions
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1

I am completely new in Mathematica. I had experience in Fortran-4 and Modula-2.
My main problem is to declare variables and be able to work with them, not the math. I try to declare variables List, Table, Array, Matrix such as for instance of size 9x9x6 or 996x5. ( I do not want to start typing 1000s of zero.) Then I want to fill the Matrix with numbers using “For” and “If” functions.

While creating small Matrixes according to the book works, I just cannot find something like a DIM(996,5) function for my larger lists.
Simple example:

ClearAll;
n={{11,12,13,14},{21,22,23,24},{31,32,33,34}};
(* How about larger Matrixes and how would I declare all the positions a.g.   =0?  Would I use a double nested For loop? *)

n//MatrixForm
k=n[[2,2]];
k=k+100;
n[[2,2]]=k;
Print[n[[2,2]]];
n//MatrixForm  (* it works to here *)
For[s=1,4,s++,If[n[[2,s]]>100,n[[2,s]]=0]]; (*this does not seem to work *)
Print[n[[2,2]]];
n//MatrixForm

Thank you for any hint.

2

Hi there,

the following might help. I avoid using For-loops etc because it is faster.

First I generate an empty matrix of the desired dimensions:

matrix = ConstantArray[0, {9, 9, 6}];

This generates the matrix with all zeros. Let’s suppose I have a couple of index combinations for which the entries are “1”. I am too lazy to make some combinations up so I generate random index combinations:

nonzero = Table[{RandomInteger[{1, 9}], RandomInteger[{1, 9}], RandomInteger[{1, 6}]}, {k, 1, 10}];

Now I can populate the matrix with the “1’s” at the given positions:

Set[Part[matrix, #[[1]], #[[2]], #[[3]]], 1] & /@ nonzero

I understand that this is quite different from the standard programming paradigm in say Fortran or C. If you insist in using a for loop this would work:

For[i = 1, i <= Length[nonzero], i++, matrix[[nonzero[[i, 1]], nonzero[[i, 2]], nonzero[[i, 3]]]] = 1]

Cheers,

M.

3

I think Instead of

Set[Part[matrix, #[[1]], #[[2]], #[[3]]], 1] & /@ nonzero

This is a little simpler:

matrix2 = ReplacePart[matrix2, nonzero -> 1]
4

That is true, but the first method is faster:

ScreenShot2015-02-10at07.22.17.png
ScreenShot2015-02-10at07.22.17.png674×188 14.7 KB

Cheers,

M.

5

Thanks for your help Marco and Nasser,
That ConstantArray was exactly what I was looking for.
Now I am stuck with that For loop. It does not want to pass on the value. There must be some trick to it.
Here the procedure and with the result in the Attachment. Thanks so much. (Pls take note that with my 70+ years I am mentally not so flexible anymore.)

n = ConstantArray[1, {3, 4}];

r = 2;

For[s = 1, 4, s++, n[[r, s]] = RandomInteger[{1, 9}]];

n // MatrixForm

6

Hi,

the last one is just because of a little syntax error in the for loop.

n = ConstantArray[1, {3, 4}];
r = 2;
For[s = 1, s <= 4, s++, n[[r, s]] = RandomInteger[{1, 9}]];

will work.

Cheers,

M.

7

Thank you Marco for making my day. Somehow Iam still fixed in the old languages. Anyhow, I can start now to work on my little project.
I will be back on the forum when I hit the next road block.
All the best to you
Ulrich

8

No problem at all. If you encounter any other issue I would be glad to help.

Best wishes,

Marco