Sort matrix in specific order

Hello everyone,

I have created a 288:4 matrix in which the third column consists of the numbers 1,2 and 3. I would like to sort the matrix so that each number in column three is repeated 6 times for 16 times in total while also making sure that

• there will be no 6-digit-blocks of the same number twice in a row (i.e. 1 1 1 1 1 1 ; 2 2 2 2 2 2 ; 1 1 1 1 1 1 and NOT 1 1 1 1 1 1 ; 1 1 1 1 1 1 ; 2 2 2 2 2 2)
• each column is moved with the corresponding content of the other columns in that row (this is why I cannot just create a new matrix with the order I need and replace it with the third column)

I would really appreciate your help!

Thanks a lot in advance Letizia

[Image Analyst]

"I have created a 288:4 matrix" Please attach this matrix in a .mat file with the paper clip icon. Also, you have not actually asked an actual question, just made an announcement. Do you have a question?

You say "each column is moved with the corresponding content of the other columns in that row" Well, I have no idea what that means. Tell me again exactly where do you want to move the column? Or do you just want to move all rows together, in synchrony, so that each column is sorted identically to all the other columns?

Answer 1

[letizia533]

Thanks for your quick response and sorry for being too imprecise. My question is if there is any way I can sort the matrix in that specific order or rather which functions I need to incorporate to solve this problem?

And concerning your next question: maybe I can explain it better with an example.

So if A =

A K 2 D

F D 3 F

W T 2 G

I want to make sure that when I change the order of the numbers in column three I move entire rows and not just switch the numbers in that column so that I get

A2 =

A K 2 D

W T 2 G

F D 3 F

and not A =

A K 2 D

F D 2 F

W T 3 G

Do you understand what I mean?

[Walter Roberson]

Generally speaking

[~, sort_order] = sort(A(:,appropriate_column_number));
A2 = A(sort_order, :);