Differences between Maxima and Macsyma and GPL vs. commercial version

--- seberino@spawar.navy.mil wrote:
> > But we might someday take over in
> > areas like student labs and individual users, where the needs
> aren't so
> > severe and it's easier to write up what you need for a course. 
> There
> > we probably have much more appeal.
> 
> C Y
> 
> Thanks for your info.  I appreciate any and all opinions you can
> give. Assuming for a minute that students will need just basic
> calculus, basic algebra and basic arithmetic,
> Maxima is ready NOW for this market right??? 

Mathematically it's probably there, but interface and documentation
wise we're pretty much a disaster.  Unless students happen to be
comfortable with command line and TeX.

> Probably the most complicated equation students will ever work
> with is some polynomial or fraction with trig functions.
> I assume the integration, ODE and plotting engines for THESE
> guys was perfected in GPL'd Maxima years ago right???

Umm.  Our plotting is currently rather limited - best bet is probably
to use the gnuplot output option.  Integration is essentially stable. 
ODE I'm not as sure about, but it can handle basic stuff IIRC and there
has been some exciting new work on that front lately.

Actually, that reminds me - does anyone know if the gnuplot stuff works
in Windows?

CY

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