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- Beginners find it difficult to coerce Mathematica
into simplify expressions into `simple' expressions. Such simplification
is an art, not a science. Examples occur in the examples.
- Not all packages which are part of Mathematica are automatically present
when you launch Mathematica ; some must be imported. This can be done easily-see
the Help Browser for examples.
- An analytic or numerical manipulation which has not completed in, say, 3
minutes probably will never complete, and should be interrupted and an
alternative approach adopted-simplifying compact, complicated
expressions into many simpler pieces, for example.
- Do not mix numerical-defined variables with symbolic variables
if you can possible avoid it. Such mixing results in expressions which Mathematica
may not be able to simplify well. Thus it is far better to carry out
a calculation using strictly symbolic variables, then to assign
numerical values for plotting (for example).
The Notebooks on the course Web site illustrate perhaps 1% of Mathematica 's
abilities, but are meant to get you over the `hump' of a steep learning
curve, show you some tricks often used to persuade Mathematica to do what you want
it to do, and how it can be used, with care, to generate publication
quality graphics.
Next: Resources
Up: Mma
Previous: What does Mathematica do
David Wood
2007-06-25