MATLAB: Error showing that variable ‘x’ might be a non scalar operator. Why is it so

Question

x = 0:0.01:1;
if x < 0.5
     y = x^2;
else
    y = x^2 -1;
    plot(x,y)
end

Answer 1

x = 0:0.01:1;
y(x<.5)=x(x<.5).^2;
y(x>=.5)=x(x>=.5).^2-1;
plot(x,y);