How to index two vectors together

Hi!

I'd like to know how i can index two vectors together. By that I mean that, if for example I have the following two vectors:

vec_A = [1 11 21 31];

vec_B = [4 14 24 34];

How can I get the following vector

vec_C = [1:4 11:14 21:24 31:34];

I know I can do it with a for loop, but is there a way just to do it with vectors?

Thank you very much in advance,

Guillem

[Stephen23]

"is there a way just to do it with vectors?"

Not really in a general way. But you can certainly hide the loop:

A = [1,11,21,31];
B = [4,14,24,34];
C = arrayfun(@colon,A,B,'uni',0);
C = [C{:}]

C = 1×16

1 2 3 4 11 12 13 14 21 22 23 24 31 32 33 34

[Dyuman Joshi]

I sometimes forget that such functions exist. Using colon seems to be faster.

But, as I mentioned earlier, for loop would be the best method here.

%Bigger data
vec_A = 10.*(1:1e5)+1;
vec_B = vec_A+3;

tic
out1 = arrayfun(@(x, y) x:y, vec_A, vec_B, 'uni', 0);
toc

Elapsed time is 0.212617 seconds.

tic
C = arrayfun(@colon,vec_A,vec_B,'uni',0);
toc

Elapsed time is 0.076981 seconds.

Answer 1

[Dyuman Joshi]

One way is to use arrayfun() but that is just a for loop in disguise.

%Bigger data
vec_A = 10.*(1:1e5)+1;
vec_B = vec_A+3;

tic
out1 = arrayfun(@(x, y) x:y, vec_A, vec_B, 'uni', 0);
toc

Elapsed time is 0.214490 seconds.

out1 = [out1{:}]

out1 = 1×400000

11 12 13 14 21 22 23 24 31 32 33 34 41 42 43 44 51 52 53 54 61 62 63 64 71 72 73 74 81 82

This is same as -

n = numel(vec_A);
out2 = cell(1,n);
tic
for k=1:n
    out2{k} = vec_A(k):vec_B(k);
end
toc

Elapsed time is 0.037649 seconds.

out2 = [out2{:}]

out2 = 1×400000

11 12 13 14 21 22 23 24 31 32 33 34 41 42 43 44 51 52 53 54 61 62 63 64 71 72 73 74 81 82

However, you can see that the for loop is approximately 5.5 times faster than the arrayfun. So, performance wise for loop is the best option.

Answer 2

[Bruno Luong]

There is FEX, and fast if you have compiler and compile the mex file.

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/29854-multiple-colon?s_tid=srchtitle

>> A = [1,11,21,31];
>> B = [4,14,24,34];
>> mcolon(A,B)

ans =

     1     2     3     4    11    12    13    14    21    22    23    24    31    32    33    34

>> A:B

ans =

     1     2     3     4

You can also overload MATLAB colon operator

>> mcolonops on
>> A:B

ans =

     1     2     3     4    11    12    13    14    21    22    23    24    31    32    33    34

>> mcolonops off
>> A:B

ans =

     1     2     3     4