Page History: Beginner’s introduction to creating and editing equations
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Page Revision: 2011/02/09 08:59
If you happen to have found this page, it is still under construction. I had to post it prematurely in order to workout an image display issue. Only the first of several pages are posted here. If you like were it is going, it will be finished in one or two weeks.(Present date: Feb 8 2010).
Beginner’s introduction to creating and editing equations
When using SMath you are not entering equations into a simple text field as you might do in a simpler calculator or graphing program. This program uses a rich and interactive process to create and edit formulas, functions and matrices. This tutorial discusses that process. This allows more hands on control of the nature of equation.
Note that this tutorial begins at the absolute beginning for the benefit of new users.
It is highly recommended that you set up your browser window to fill one half of the screen and your SMath window to fill the other half.
Using SMath as a simple calculator
To use the program as a simple calculator you basically type in the desired expression and an equal sign. In an SMath window, type in the simple expression, 12.3*45= ,followed by Enter to get the following...
When the calculation is a more complicated you will at times have to advance the curser using the right arrow key to move it from one text segment to the next. Type in the following to appreciate this fact. 12^3*44/5=
When entering an equation it is often more convenient to use the Spacebar instead of the right arrow key to advance the curser.
At this point, we will immediately introduce the subject of variables and functions so that we will be dealing with the subject matter in the most general terms.
Defining variables
Create a variable by typing, b1=40+60 ,and press Enter
You end up with...
Because the variable b1 had not been previously defined the program assumed that you wished to define it and inserted a colon before the equal sign.
If below that definition you were to attempt redefine b1 to be equal to 22 using the similar set of keystrokes, b1=22 ,you end up with the expression below immediately after pressing the equal key = .
The program this time assumed, at the moment that you entered the equal key, that you wished to know what b1 is presently equal to.