Slightly OT: student usage of Maxima vs Maple

2008/5/21 Javed Alam <jalam1001 at gmail.com>:
> Dotan
>
> I am an engineering educator who has used mathematica, maple, matlab and
> mathcad in different courses. I have access to all these programs for free
> and student can get access to them for free while they are at the school.
> However, there are two issues what happens when students leave the school.
> Some employers provide access to these programs and some do not. Also, I am
> also thinking about education in global sense and not every body can afford
> to buy these programs on licensing cost. Even an employer provides access to
> them it will be just one or two and if student did not learn that particular
> package then he/she has to relearn.

Actually, I know that where I live most employers provide Mathlab.
Maple is trying to enter the industry but where it will be in two
years when I enter the workforce is yet to be seen. So in any case, I
want to learn at least two packages, so that I will be familiar with
mathematical software, and not any particular title.

> Therefore, I am experimenting with two packages mainly Maxima and Scilab for
> now and I would like to add Octave to the mix. Here is a complete course
> that is based upon these two packages I have taught in the past.
>
> http://www.eng.ysu.edu/~jalam/engr6924s07

Thank you, I will definetly go through that page.

> It needs some polishing infact lot of polishing but it will give you an idea
> of what is possible of these packages. You are welcome to look around and I
> will be happy to get your feed back.

I will mail you off-list with my comments. I finish my last-semester
exams in one month, and that is the time that I will begin testing the
different applications.

> I think most of the problems we
> encounter in engineering computation can be solved using with these
> pacakages. In fact I think Maxima is a perfect engineering calculator. It
> extends all the functionality of an existing calculator and throws in
> algebraic manipulation of matrices and integration and differentiation and
> solution of diff equations as a bonus.
>
> Let me know what you think.

I will, thanks.

Dotan Cohen

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