Giving instructions to Maple

An instruction is one or more lines containing expression(s) terminated by  ";" or  ":".

It is "sent" to Maple by hitting the Enter key.

examples:

>

2+2;

>

3+ 3 ;

>	plot(sin(x), x=0..10);

Instructions cause computations to be done. Instructions usually generate output, as in the examples above. Expressions ending with ":" are evaluated but the output is omitted:

>	x0 := 2:   y0 := 5;   m := 2:   y = y0 + m*(x-x0);

To get more space to type without executing..

When you need more space for what you are typing,
on a PC, type the two keys "Shift"-"Enter" at the same time.
This gives you a new blank line, like this:

When you press the "Enter" key by itself (without the "Shift") Maple starts executing.

On a Mac, the "Return" key gives you a new blank line.

Arithmetic

Maple uses the symbols + for add, - for subtract, * for multiply, / for divide.

^ denotes exponentiation: i.e., 5^2 means 5 squared. Parentheses () can be used to group portions of expressions.

>	2 + (4 - 3)*2;

Assignment and unassignment

You assign values to names with the " := " operator:

>

a:=x+1;

>

a^2;

To make "a" just a variable name again, with no assigned value, do this:

>

a:='a';

>

a^2;

When early parts of a calculation assign values to names that you want to use again as names later on, use unassigment.

Or, you can just use different names later on.

Algebra

First, lets make sure that the name x is not assigned a value..

>

x := 'x';

"expand" takes expressions and multiplies them through. It also expands powers.

>	expand( (x+2)*(x-3) );  expand((x+2)^3);

Parts of expressions: "coeff" finds the coefficient of a particular term in a polynomial.

                                  "numer" finds the numerator of an expression,

                                  "denom" finds the denominator.

>	coeff(x^3 + 6*x^2 + 12*x + 8,x^2);

>	expr := (x^2 + 5)/(x^3 - 1); numer(expr); denom(expr);

Calculus

You can differentiate expressions:

>	diff( x^3 + x^2 + x + 1 + sin(x), x );

or integrate them:

>	int( x^3 + x^2 + x + 1 + sin(x), x ); # an antiderivative

>	int( x^3 + x^2 + x + 1 + sin(x), x=0..Pi);# a definite integral

Procedures

"proc" and "end" mark the beginning and end of the definition of a proc (procedure).

Statements are separated by semicolons.
Here's an example that sets up a proc named A to evaluate the area of a circle of

radius r.

>	A := proc(r);   Pi*r^2; end;

>	A(10);  A(R);  A(r);

>

>	B(r) := r^2;  B(10);

>	subs(r=10,B(r));

>

Getting help from Maple

The ?  ?? and ??? commands give help.  If you know the topic, use ?topic, for example ?int .

Note that by using cut and paste (from the Edit menu), you can take the examples that

help provides, paste them into your current workspace, and run them.

Try ?int

>

?int

>

>