How to Use the seq() Function in R

The seq() function in R is “used to generate a regular sequence of numbers”.

Syntax

seq(from, to, by, length.out=NULL, along.with=NULL)

Parameters

1. from: It represents where the sequence should begin.
   
2. to: It represents where the sequence should end.
   
3. by: It represents the step size or interval of the sequence.
4. length.out: The desired length of the sequence.
5. along.with: The desired length that matches the length of this data object.

Example 1: Generate a Sequence Starting from One

If you pass a single argument, it is considered an ending point, and the starting point is assumed as 1. So your sequence will be from 1 to the ending point.

s <- seq(5)
print(s)

Output

[1] 1 2 3 4 5

Example 2: Generating a sequence in R

s <- seq(0, 5)
print(s)

Output

[1] 0 1 2 3 4 5

Example 3: Generate Sequence with Custom Incrementing

vec <- seq(from = 0, to = 20, by = 4)

vec

Output

[1] 0 4 8 12 16 20

Example 4: Generate a Sequence with a Specific Length

data <- seq(from = 0, to = 20, length.out = 4)

# view sequence
data

Output

[1] 0.000000 6.666667 13.333333 20.000000

Example 5: Seq() function with argument “by”

The “by” parameter is an integer that indicates the increment of the sequence.

s <- seq(0, 10, by = 2)
print(s)

Output

[1] 0 2 4 6 8 10

Example 6: Seq() function with argument “length.out”

The “length.out” parameter is the desired length of the sequence.

s <- seq(1, 10, length.out = 11)
print(s)

Output

[1] 1.0 1.9 2.8 3.7 4.6 5.5 6.4 7.3 8.2 9.1 10.0

Example 7: Seq() function with argument “along”

for (x in list(NULL, letters[1:6], list(1, pi)))
    cat("x=", deparse(x), "; seq(along = x):", seq(along = x), "\n")

Output

x= NULL ; seq(along = x):
x= c("a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f") ; seq(along = x): 1 2 3 4 5 6
x= list(1, 3.14159265358979) ; seq(along = x): 1 2

That’s it.

Krunal Lathiya

Krunal Lathiya is a seasoned Computer Science expert with over eight years in the tech industry. He boasts deep knowledge in Data Science and Machine Learning. Versed in Python, JavaScript, PHP, R, and Golang. Skilled in frameworks like Angular and React and platforms such as Node.js. His expertise spans both front-end and back-end development. His proficiency in the Python language stands as a testament to his versatility and commitment to the craft.