Affordable Mathematical Software for Students and Professionals

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the search for affordable mathematical software options suitable for students and professionals. Participants explore various software alternatives, their functionalities, and pricing, including considerations for upgrades and free options.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the high cost of Mathematica, questioning if there are cheaper alternatives or ways to obtain it at a lower price.
  • Another participant suggests that the choice of software depends on the intended use and power required, sharing their positive experience with MATLAB obtained for free through their school.
  • A participant mentions their enthusiasm for Mathematica, indicating a dual major in physics and engineering, suggesting a personal interest in powerful mathematical tools.
  • Maxima is recommended as a free alternative to Mathematica, with one participant noting its capabilities and expressing a desire to explore Mathematica for specific tasks.
  • Another participant endorses Maxima, highlighting its long-term use and functionality for calculus operations, and mentions wxMaxima as a user-friendly interface.
  • Participants compare Maxima and Octave as free alternatives, noting their respective strengths in symbolic and numerical computations.
  • One participant shares a preference for Maple, citing its user-friendly environment, and mentions using gnuplot for plotting tasks.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the availability of free software alternatives like Maxima and Octave, but there is no consensus on which software is superior or best suited for specific tasks, as preferences vary based on individual needs and experiences.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of familiarity with different software, and the discussion reflects a range of experiences and needs that may influence software choice. Specific pricing details and upgrade paths for Mathematica remain unclear and are not fully addressed.

kant
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I am interest in some type of mathematical solfwares. I heard mathematia is good, but i just think it is too expensive. I think it cost 1800 dollars for mathematica professionals, and 138 dollars for mathematia for students. Are there ways to get mathematica cheaper? If i do buy mathematica for student; how much to upgrade it to professional after i graduate? Are there cheaper math solfwares? perhaps some math freeware?
 
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I guess the first question to ask is how powerful of a program do you want? What do you plan to use it for?

I actually don't know too much about what's out there but I received Matlab for free from my school (as a TA) and love it. There is a ton of stuff it is capable of that I'm pretty sure I won't use.
 
i love math, so mathematica is a nice toy. on the professional side, I am also going to double major in physics and engineering
 
Try maxima before spending money on mathematica:

http://maxima.sourceforge.net/

I might still get mathematica myself, as there are lots of books using it, and I couldn't figure out how to do space curves with maxima.
 
If you want some free mathematical softwares, then Maxima is one of the best. I used it for, like, years, and still love it. :approve: It can take limits, as well as derivatives, and integrals. :cool:
As Daverz pointed out, Maxima can be downloaded here
And if you want to work in some nicer environment, then you can also download wxMaxima, which is free, too, http://wxmaxima.sourceforge.net/.
Maple or Mathematica are decent softwares in mathematics. So if you can, just get one of them. They are both good. Maple has a more friendly environment, while Mathematica is famous for its fast and rigid calculation.
 
Maxima is a free Mathematica look-a-like.

Octave is a free MATLAB look-a-like.

Which you should use depends on whether you're doing symbolic math (where Mathematica excels) or doing numerical computation (where MATLAB excels).

- Warren
 
Maple is my favorite [for what I do].

I use gnuplot for quick and dirty plotting.
 

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