'syms' not working, but I do have the Symbolic Math Toolbox

I have the symbolic math toolbox, but 'syms' isn't working. How can I fix this?

VER info below:

"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MATLAB Version: 9.0.0.341360 (R2016a)

MATLAB License Number: xxxxxx

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Version 6.1 (Build 7601: Service Pack 1)

Java Version: Java 1.7.0_60-b19 with Oracle Corporation Java HotSpot™ 64-Bit Server VM mixed mode

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MATLAB Version 9.0 (R2016a)

Simulink Version 8.7 (R2016a)

Computer Vision System Toolbox Version 7.1 (R2016a)

Control System Toolbox Version 10.0 (R2016a)

Curve Fitting Toolbox Version 3.5.3 (R2016a)

Data Acquisition Toolbox Version 3.9 (R2016a)

Image Processing Toolbox Version 9.4 (R2016a)

MATLAB Coder Version 3.1 (R2016a)

Optimization Toolbox Version 7.4 (R2016a)

Signal Processing Toolbox Version 7.2 (R2016a)

Simulink Coder Version 8.10 (R2016a)

Simulink Control Design Version 4.3 (R2016a)

Simulink Design Optimization Version 3.0 (R2016a)

Simulink Desktop Real-Time Version 5.2 (R2016a)

Stateflow Version 8.7 (R2016a)

Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox Version 10.2 (R2016a)

Symbolic Math Toolbox Version 7.0 (R2016a)

System Identification Toolbox Version 9.4 (R2016a)

*************************************

license('test','symbolic_toolbox')

ans =

     1.0000e+000

[Walter Roberson]

What does

which -all syms

show? What problem are you encountering?

[Andreas Goser]

Right, what does not work exactly? Ideally provide a command and the error message. Walter's idea is related to a potential "shadowing", e.g. you have created your on function called syms.m

[Manuel Fuelling]

I have a problem with syms: code just does not continue to run further than the syms line... no error code

[Walter Roberson]

Manuel Fuelling, see https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/399991-syms-sym-and-mupad-functions-cause-matlab-to-freeze

Answer 1

[Om Yadav]

One line solution: MATLAB --> HOME --> Set Path --> Default --> Save.

Answer 2

[Hootan Manoochehri]

I have the exact same problem, the symbolic math toolbox is installed, but whenever I use syms or sym() to define symbol, it doesn't terminate it consumes all of my memory and then I can't use my pc, and I should restart it or kill MATLAB before it gets all the memory.

CPU usage increase around 30% not that much, it seems it goes to a recursive function without termination !!!

>> ver
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MATLAB Version: 9.4.0.813654 (R2018a)
MATLAB License Number: XXXXXXXX
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Education Version 10.0 (Build 17134)
Java Version: Java 1.8.0_144-b01 with Oracle Corporation Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM mixed mode
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MATLAB                                                Version 9.4         (R2018a)
Simulink                                              Version 9.1         (R2018a)
Control System Toolbox                                Version 10.4        (R2018a)
DSP System Toolbox                                    Version 9.6         (R2018a)
Data Acquisition Toolbox                              Version 3.13        (R2018a)
Embedded Coder                                        Version 7.0         (R2018a)
Fixed-Point Designer                                  Version 6.1         (R2018a)
Fuzzy Logic Toolbox                                   Version 2.3.1       (R2018a)
GPU Coder                                             Version 1.1         (R2018a)
Image Processing Toolbox                              Version 10.2        (R2018a)
Instrument Control Toolbox                            Version 3.13        (R2018a)
MATLAB Coder                                          Version 4.0         (R2018a)
MATLAB Compiler                                       Version 6.6         (R2018a)
MATLAB Compiler SDK                                   Version 6.5         (R2018a)
Neural Network Toolbox                                Version 11.1        (R2018a)
OPC Toolbox                                           Version 4.0.5       (R2018a)
Optimization Toolbox                                  Version 8.1         (R2018a)
Parallel Computing Toolbox                            Version 6.12        (R2018a)
Signal Processing Toolbox                             Version 8.0         (R2018a)
Simulink Control Design                               Version 5.1         (R2018a)
Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox               Version 11.3        (R2018a)
Symbolic Math Toolbox                                 Version 8.1         (R2018a)

[Walter Roberson]

See https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/399991-syms-sym-and-mupad-functions-cause-matlab-to-freeze