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accdd
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How often during your work do you use a symbolic calculation tool like Mathematica / Maple / SymPy? Is it worth learning(especially for a theoretical physicist)? Thank you.
For symbolic calculations, I, personally, find that MATLAB is far better than SymPy. On the other hand, most scientists prefer Mathematica for symbolic calculations. If your work entails plenty of symbolic calculations, then probably Mathematica should be the preferred tool.accdd said:How often during your work do you use a symbolic calculation tool like Mathematica / Maple / SymPy? Is it worth learning(especially for a theoretical physicist)? Thank you.
I used MathCad for a while long ago and loved it. It checked units for compatibility and allowed easy mixing of text with calculations. I miss it. I thought that it would lead the way to better math tools, but it was just ignored.DaveE said:I use an ancient version of MathCad* for that, and OMG, I couldn't live without it for complex algebra, trig, and such. In my world of engineering, you have to check your work all by yourself, there's no answer key and being wrong is expensive in many different ways (mostly wasted time, which we don't have). Humans, especially me, I think, make mistakes. It's a simple way to check derivations.
*No, I'm not recommending it. But I know it and have it and it works well enough.
You can still buy it. $700.FactChecker said:I used MathCad for a while long ago and loved it. It checked units for compatibility and allowed easy mixing of text with calculations. I miss it. I thought that it would lead the way to better math tools, but it was just ignored.
Actually, I think I did long ago. I don't need it now. I just thought that some of its great features would become a trend. Instead, we regressed.DaveE said:You can still buy it. $700.
A symbolic calculation tool uses algorithms and rules to manipulate and solve mathematical expressions or equations symbolically, rather than numerically. This means that the tool can handle variables, constants, and exact values instead of approximations.
One advantage is that it can handle complex equations and expressions that may be difficult or time-consuming to solve manually. It can also provide multiple solutions and simplify expressions. Additionally, it can be used for a wide range of mathematical operations, including calculus, algebra, and trigonometry.
Some limitations include the inability to solve certain types of equations or expressions, such as those with infinite solutions or solutions involving transcendental functions. Additionally, the tool may not always produce the most simplified or intuitive solutions, and may require some manual input or interpretation.
A symbolic calculation tool can greatly assist in analyzing and solving complex mathematical problems, which are often encountered in scientific research. It can also help in generating equations and models for data analysis, and in verifying and checking the accuracy of calculations.
Yes, there are many symbolic calculation tools and software available, such as Mathematica, Maple, and MATLAB. Some of these are general purpose tools, while others are specifically designed for scientific research and have additional features and capabilities.