Main Content

Array Management for Uncertain Objects

All of the uncertain system classes (uss, ufrd) may be multidimensional arrays. This is intended to provide the same functionality as the LTI-arrays of the Control System Toolbox™ software. The command size returns a row vector with the sizes of all dimensions.

The first two dimensions correspond to the outputs and inputs of the system. Any dimensions beyond are referred to as the array dimensions. Hence, if szM = size(M), then szM(3:end) are sizes of the array dimensions of M.

For these types of objects, it is clear that the first two dimensions (system output and input) are interpreted differently from the 3rd, 4th, 5th and higher dimensions (which often model parametrized variability in the system input/output behavior).

umat objects are treated in the same manner. The first two dimensions are the rows and columns of the uncertain matrix. Any dimensions beyond are the array dimensions.

Reference into Arrays

Suppose M is a umat, uss or ufrd, and that Yidx and Uidx are vectors of integers. Then 

M(Yidx,Uidx)

selects the outputs (rows) referred to by Yidx and the inputs (columns) referred to by Uidx, preserving all of the array dimensions. For example, if size(M) equals [4 5 3 6 7], then (for example) the size of M([4 2],[1 2 4]) is [2 3 3 6 7].

If size(M,1)==1 or size(M,2)==1, then single indexing on the inputs or outputs (rows or columns) is allowed. If Sidx is a vector of integers, then M(Sidx) selects the corresponding elements. All array dimensions are preserved.

If there are K array dimensions, and idx1, idx2, ..., idxK are vectors of integers, then 

G = M(Yidx,Uidx,idx1,idx2,...,idxK)

selects the outputs and inputs referred to by Yidx and Uidx, respectively, and selects from each array dimension the “slices” referred to by the idx1, idx2,..., idxK index vectors. Consequently, size(G,1) equals length(Yidx), size(G,2) equals length(Uidx), size(G,3) equals length(idx1), size(G,4) equals length(idx2), and size(G,K+2) equals length(idxK).

If M has K array dimensions, and less than K index vectors are used in doing the array referencing, then the MATLAB® convention for single indexing is followed. For instance, suppose size(M) equals [3 4 6 5 7 4]. The expression 

G = M([1 3],[1 4],[2 3 4],[5 3 1],[8 10 12 2 4 20 18])

is valid. The result has size(G) equals [2 2 3 3 7]. The last index vector [8 10 12 2 4 20 18] is used to reference into the 7-by-4 array, preserving the order dictated by MATLAB single indexing (e.g., the 10th element of a 7-by-4 array is the element in the (3,2) position in the array).

Note that if M has either one output (row) or one input (column), and M has array dimensions, then it is not allowable to combine single indexing in the output/input dimensions along with indexing in the array dimensions. This will result in an ambiguity in how to interpret the second index vector in the expression (i.e., “does it correspond to the input/output reference, or does it correspond to the first array dimension?”).

Related Topics