Mathematical Computation with Maple V: Ideas and Applications

Book excerpt: Developments in both computer hardware and Perhaps the greatest impact has been felt by the software over the decades have fundamentally education community. Today, it is nearly changed the way people solve problems. impossible to find a college or university that has Technical professionals have greatly benefited not introduced mathematical computation in from new tools and techniques that have allowed some form, into the curriculum. Students now them to be more efficient, accurate, and creative have regular access to the amount of in their work. computational power that were available to a very exclusive set of researchers five years ago. This Maple V and the new generation of mathematical has produced tremendous pedagogical computation systems have the potential of challenges and opportunities. having the same kind of revolutionary impact as high-level general purpose programming Comparisons to the calculator revolution of the languages (e.g. FORTRAN, BASIC, C), 70's are inescapable. Calculators have application software (e.g. spreadsheets, extended the average person's ability to solve Computer Aided Design - CAD), and even common problems more efficiently, and calculators have had. Maple V has amplified our arguably, in better ways. Today, one needs at mathematical abilities: we can solve more least a calculator to deal with standard problems problems more accurately, and more often. In in life -budgets, mortgages, gas mileage, etc. specific disciplines, this amplification has taken For business people or professionals, the excitingly different forms.