-
To start Mathematica, we double-click the Mathematica front
end icon. Be aware that the Mathematica kernel will load automatically
in the background when the first question is evaluated, so the first
question will take a few moments longer to answer than next questions.
- To
open an existing notebook once Mathematica is running, we double-click
a Mathematica notebook icon, or pull down the File menu, choose
Open, and find the notebook on the hard disk.
- Questions
must be precise. Mathematica requires that questions we type
follow a consistent syntax: we must follow certain consistent naming,
capitalization, and punctuation rules in order for the computer to understand
our input.
- To
evaluate a question in Mathematica , we hold down the Shift key
while pressing Return, after typing the question. (On a Macintosh we
can press the Enter key instead of Shift-Return, and on a machine running
Microsoft Windows we can press Insert.
- Commands:
Built-in Mathematica commands, functions, constants, and other
expressions begin with capital letters, and are one or more full-length
English words. It is important to remember that Mathematica is
case sensitive.
- Brackets:
( ) and [ ] and { }: Mathematica interprets various types of
brackets differently.The following are MathematicaÕs bracketing
conventions.
- Parentheses
are used only for grouping. The input is typically understood to
mean a variable a times 2. For Example. 2(x) = 2x and so f(2) means
= 2f... not f of 2.
- Function
arguments go in square brackets.
- Equal
Signs: Mathematica uses several different types of equal signs
to separating the parts of an equation, and defining a function.
- A
single equal sign = assigns a value to a variable, x = 6... everytime
you enter x it will equal 6.
- A
double equal sign == is used to represent an equation. To solve
the equation
a
with respect , we type a Solve[2z+6==1,z].
- On-Line
Help: If we know the name of a function, Mathematica displays
a message for the function after we enter ?Simplify, followed by pressing
Shift+Return, and we get help with the Simplify function.
Click for quiz
|
