* Jurgis Pralgauskis <jurgpral@soften.ktu.lt> [2005-12-07 01:53:47 +0200]:
> hi,
> I generaly know, what Maxima is up to,
> but I am interested is it possible to track the solver as the problem is
> beeing solved
> can I get step by step output (as we are taught in calculus studies)
> instead of just the final answer?
>
> the idea behind this is that I want to proove to our lecturers, that
> swotting the formulas and the methods is no big use in XXI age.
> The two first semesters of higher math is mainly swoting the methods and
> no big creativity - I'd even say, why are we taught to invent bicycles?
>
I don't know if there is anything built in Maxima that would do this
(other than trace command that Professor Fateman mentioned), but for
simple, or not too complicated, that I sometimes used Maxima in class
for, I would insert some steps myself. Say, we want to find a formula
for the inverse of sinh(x).
(%i1) y=(exp(x)-exp(-x))/2;
(%i2) 2*%;
(%i3) subst(z,exp(x),%);
(%i4) z*%;
This one would not be expanded, which I prefer; I can ask students
to complete the next step, and check it with Maxima, ...
At my current institution, we are using Mathematica, but I did not
see a simple way to do above with Mathematica; in fact several
students asked me the very first lab class if it would be possible to
force Mathematica to show more steps. Some more experienced
Mathematica colleagues showed me a couple of ways, but those never
looked as simple and intuitive to me as the above stuff with Maxima, so I
already forgot them:)
Milan
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