🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <lestrade.726863807@Ra.MsState.Edu> lestrade@Ra.MsState.Edu  
(John Patrick Lestrade) writes:
> ok, assume i am computer literate and math literate and I am a late
> comer to symbolic math packages.  is there a consensus of opinion as to
> which package i should buy: mathematica, maple, axiom (i just saw a book
> in the bookstore for Axiom -- is it a viable contender?) and if
> mathematica is the best, which book should I buy.
> thanks
> patrick
> 
> --
> John Patrick Lestrade        
> cnesta::lestrade                       Let's try again in '96!
> lestrade@ra.msstate.edu

If you opt for Mathematica, buy ALL the books as the on-line help is  
worthless--IMHO, based upon experiences with Mathematica 2.1 on my  
NeXTstation--unless you are already aware of the existence of the command. 

If you opt for Mathematica, the essential book is "Mathematica Quick  
Reference, Version 2" by Nancy Blachman which summarizes all of the  
commands and their options.

Personal opinion is that all of them have serious flaws and ugly user  
intefaces (even if Mathematica does produce nice graphics after a bit of a  
struggle). The only one which adequately handles variables and functions  
defined on an interval is Derive and that's only available for MS-DOS.

In any event, dealing with Maple (best help--at least on a Mac),  
Mathematica (best graphics), Macsyma (no experience), Axiom (only for the  
RS/6000), or Derive (only MS-DOS) is that you'll be inspired to expand  
your vocabulary in new and colorful ways.

Mark.
--
Mark Kotanchek
Guidance & Control Dept - 363 ASB
Applied Research Lab/Penn State
P.O. Box 30
State College, PA 16804