Maxima CAS 1: Basic use of wxMaxima and some built-in functions along the way

This video explains some of the more basic aspects of wxMaxima and the Maxima commands. This particular video is kind of tedious, but it gets some important stuff out of the way.

This video includes basic arithmetic, basic parts of wxMaxima's interface, assigning variables, some mathematical constants, and other basic but important things to know.

One type of simplification that I could have mentioned is radcan(), which is the "Simplify (r)" button in the side panel. This does simplification of logarithms, radicals, and exponents. For example,

(%i1) log(25)/log(5);
(%o1) log(25)/log(5)

(%i2) radcan(%);
(%o2) 2

Also, FYI, the log() command is the natural logarithm, log base e.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• maxima
• wxmaxima
• cas
• algebra
• computer algebra system
• calculus
• math
• mathematics

[neanderslob]

"If I have seen farther, it's from standing on the shoulders of giants." ;-) Thanks for the video dude; I used this as my math program through grad school.  It's always needed a good tutorial in english.

[anorman728]

@neanderslob Thanks, I'm glad you like it. :D

[jh78ghbn56]

Great video for a beginner like myself. Thanks man.

[UniversumExNihilo]

Risch integration is a special algorithm that is important from a theoretical standpoint. It can solve ANY elementary integration problem, if an answer exists (and, as a side effect, prove if one doesn't). Risch, as a result of its power, tends to be slower than other integration methods (like the standard one used in maxima), but no other method can solve as many elementary problems as it can. In short, it does the same thing as integrate, but it uses a different method.

[moabseeker]

Thanks for the video!