getting started with Mathematica
Mathematica does all of the basic operations of a calculator and much, much
more. It has its own programming language and the more comfortable you are working with
its structure, the faster you will be able to learn new things.
The Two Most Important Things to Know
- To evaluate an expression or execute code press Shift-Enter
on the keyboard or just Enter on the number pad. Pressing Enter by itself
on the keyboard just lets you enter another line of code.
- Mathematica is case-sensitive. This means
that the difference between capital and lower-case letters matters.
Basic Calculations
- Type in basic calculations such as 3 + 4 or 7 / 91 just as
you would on a graphing calculator. You may also use the input palette on the right by
clicking on the operations you want to use.
- Note: Multiplication needs either * or a space between elements
unless it’s something like 2x.
- Square roots are entered as Sqrt[32]. If you want a numerical
approximation use N[Sqrt[32]].
- Trigonometric functions are entered as Cos[Pi/2], Sin[3 Pi/4],
etc. Type Pi for p and E for e.
- Use Plot to graph. For example, try: Plot[x^2, {x, -5, 7}].
Other Things to Know
- You do not have to retype something if you want to make a change or add
options. Use the mouse to move the cursor back to the code, make the change, and press Shift-Enter
anywhere in the code. You can also cut, copy, and paste just like in
a word processor.
- Use the percent symbol % as you would "Ans" on a
graphing calculator. It represents the last output.
- Typing a semi-colon ;
after a line of code suppresses the output for that line so you do not have to see the
results of intermediate calculations.
- Mathematica organizes input and output in "cells" with
blue indicators on the right-hand side of the notebook. You can select, delete, copy, etc.
by clicking on the blue brackets.
- Mathematica does not automatically load all of its features. For
some more advanced applications, you need to load packages. You can find more information
on packages in the Help menu.
More Help
- The "Help" menu is extensive. Try the "Help Browser"
or its "Master Index" to learn more or to look up specific functions.
- The entire Mathematica manual is included within the Help browser.
- Ms. Brown has made some sample code for many of the basics:
Mathematica Quick Reference
- You can also get help from the publishers of Mathematica: www.Wolfram.com.
Abby Brown ~ Spring 2002
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