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#1 2016-12-16 15:17:07

Mathegocart
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Registered: 2012-04-29
Posts: 2,226

Free Computer Algebra Systems?

I was wondering about the most ubiquitous CASes and and I found the prices were prohibitively expensive: etc Mathematica(195 for 12-month period), MATLAB(>2000 dollars), etc etc..
I was wondering  if there was a system akin to these ones....


The integral of hope is reality.
May bobbym have a wonderful time in the pearly gates of heaven.
He will be sorely missed.

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#2 2016-12-16 15:24:03

bobbym
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From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

As a student you should be able to purchase Mathematica for about 140 dollars. That is still on the high side. Free ones are Sage, Maxima and Geogebra. Are they any good? A tool is only as good as the person using it. pappym used to say, "a poor carpenter blames his tools." You can do well with any one of the three I mentioned but if possible I would suggest Mathematica as soon as you can afford it or your school provides it for free.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#3 2016-12-16 23:46:44

zetafunc
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Registered: 2014-05-21
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Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

My university provided Mathematica to me, including an unlimited licence for as long as I'm enrolled there. However, if you aren't at university, then that's not an option. As bobbym said, they give discounts to students. But more to the point, it depends on why you want a CAS. What do you want to do with Mathematica or MATLAB that you can't do with any of the free options (or even Wolfram Alpha)?

Last edited by zetafunc (2016-12-16 23:47:44)

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#4 2016-12-17 05:22:59

Agnishom
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From: Riemann Sphere
Registered: 2011-01-29
Posts: 24,974
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Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

Mathegocart wrote:

I was wondering about the most ubiquitous CASes and and I found the prices were prohibitively expensive: etc Mathematica(195 for 12-month period), MATLAB(>2000 dollars), etc etc..
I was wondering  if there was a system akin to these ones....

sage is free and it is great too.


'And fun? If maths is fun, then getting a tooth extraction is fun. A viral infection is fun. Rabies shots are fun.'
'God exists because Mathematics is consistent, and the devil exists because we cannot prove it'
I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested.

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#5 2016-12-17 05:23:56

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

I mentioned it too but I feel that one must have already graduated to linux to use it.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#6 2016-12-17 05:27:10

Mathegocart
Member
Registered: 2012-04-29
Posts: 2,226

Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

Agnishom wrote:
Mathegocart wrote:

I was wondering about the most ubiquitous CASes and and I found the prices were prohibitively expensive: etc Mathematica(195 for 12-month period), MATLAB(>2000 dollars), etc etc..
I was wondering  if there was a system akin to these ones....

sage is free and it is great too.

it is somewhat convoluted to download Sage on a non-Linux device, unfortunately..


The integral of hope is reality.
May bobbym have a wonderful time in the pearly gates of heaven.
He will be sorely missed.

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#7 2016-12-17 05:28:50

Agnishom
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From: Riemann Sphere
Registered: 2011-01-29
Posts: 24,974
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Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

There are cloud based sage notebooks, I guess.


'And fun? If maths is fun, then getting a tooth extraction is fun. A viral infection is fun. Rabies shots are fun.'
'God exists because Mathematics is consistent, and the devil exists because we cannot prove it'
I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested.

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#8 2016-12-17 05:30:18

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

I agree, using a virtual memory setup is not what I would call good. Linux is the natural way to run Sage. The other options, Geogebra and Maxima, run in windows.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#9 2016-12-17 05:30:41

zetafunc
Moderator
Registered: 2014-05-21
Posts: 2,432
Website

Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

Just use the cloud (create an account here). The computations may take slightly longer compared to the downloadable version, but that may or may not be important depending on what you want to do with it.

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#10 2016-12-17 05:32:50

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

Yes, that is another option.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#11 2016-12-17 06:38:21

Mathegocart
Member
Registered: 2012-04-29
Posts: 2,226

Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

bobbym wrote:

I agree, using a virtual memory setup is not what I would call good. Linux is the natural way to run Sage. The other options, Geogebra and Maxima, run in windows.

I've tried to download Maxima, and I've obtained this error: error writing to file vtkCommonDataModel.dll.


The integral of hope is reality.
May bobbym have a wonderful time in the pearly gates of heaven.
He will be sorely missed.

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#12 2016-12-17 11:22:32

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

Download Geogebra, that has Maxima built in.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#13 2017-11-06 07:12:13

numquester
Member
Registered: 2016-12-12
Posts: 19

Re: Free Computer Algebra Systems?

Geogebra has been a very helpful learning environment, although it does have some annoying quirks, as I'm sure other tools do.  Also, I have only tinkered a tad bit with Gnu Octave, but going on what little I have used of it, it seems very promising.  After I get a little further along in my self-education of math and programming, I intend to give Octave a proper exploration.

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