Maple

If you are looking for a tool to perform quick, on-the-fly calculations, Maple is the ideal choice. Maple is an easy-to-use tool that is designed to do real mathematics. It provides exact, symbolic answers to your mathematical problems, not just numerical approximations: if the answer is , that is exactly what Maple gives you. Answers can frequently be found with a click of a button, calculations can be modified and re-executed, solution methods are recorded, solutions are easily visualized, and problem-solving sessions can easily be turned into full reports, all within the same environment.

Easy Problem Entry, Rapid Solutions

Mathematical problems are composed in Maple using natural mathematical notation. Users have the flexibility of entering problems through palettes, the keyboard, or a combination of both. Mathematical expressions are created using standard mathematical notation, including standard abbreviations. For example, 10x means "10 times x", and y' means y'(x).

Many solutions can be found literally with a click of a button. Smart context-sensitive menus provide an appropriate choice of mathematical operations; simply select what you want, and the answer appears.

Interactive assistants, tutors, and task templates are also available to guide you through multi-step problems, explore concepts, and modify options. If you prefer to use commands directly, you also have access to Maple's extensive command set and full programming language.

Maple Does More

Maple does more than simply answer the question you asked. With Maple:

• You get a record of all the steps you took in your computation. Context-menu operations are automatically documented by Maple. Methods, and not just final answers, can be reviewed, giving you confidence in your results.
• Problems can be modified and multi-step calculations redone with a click of a button. All intermediate calculations, including plots, are visibly updated.
• You have easy access to over 150 plot types and options and the ability to programmatically create more. Many plots and animations can be created and modified through the point-and-click Plot Builder assistant. Plots can be manipulated interactively, including panning, zooming, and real-time rotation of 3-D plots.
• A wide variety of built-in tools and resources are available, such as a database of scientific constants, units support, a function advisor, a back-solver, and an Exploration Assistant that lets you visually explore any mathematical or Maple expression.
  

Preserving and Documenting your Results

When you started, you may have thought you just needed a quick answer to a quick question. By the time you were finished, you realized you had done considerably more, and you don't want to lose the thought processes that went into your solution. Fortunately, in addition to being a calculation tool, Maple is a full technical documentation environment. You can easily go back and add explanations (in text and mathematical notion), explanatory diagrams, annotations to your plot to highlight key areas, and more. And of course, your mathematical calculations are still live–you can still make changes to the mathematics, add additional calculations, change parameters, and update results, even after you've created your document.

Once you are done, you can print your document, share it with others instantly through the MapleCloud Document Exchange, email it to a colleague, export it to HTML or PDF, present it as a slide-show, or further develop it into a full-blown interactive application for others to use.