The Student's Introduction to Mathematica and the Wolfram Language

Description

The unique feature of this compact student's introduction to Mathematica (R) and the Wolfram Language (TM) is that the order of the material closely follows a standard mathematics curriculum. As a result, it provides a brief introduction to those aspects of the Mathematica (R) software program most useful to students. Used as a supplementary text, it will help bridge the gap between Mathematica (R) and the mathematics in the course, and will serve as an excellent tutorial for former students. There have been significant changes to Mathematica (R) since the second edition, and all chapters have now been updated to account for new features in the software, including natural language queries and the vast stores of real-world data that are now integrated through the cloud. This third edition also includes many new exercises and a chapter on 3D printing that showcases the new computational geometry capabilities that will equip readers to print in 3D.

Bruce F. Torrence is the Garnett Professor of Mathematics at Randolph-Macon College, Virginia. In 2014, he received a Wolfram Innovator Award for his use of Mathematica in mathematics education, and in 2008 he received the John Smith Award for distinguished teaching from the Mathematical Association of America. Bruce served as a co-editor of Math Horizons magazine from 2008-2013, and his writings have twice appeared in the Best Writing on Mathematics series, in 2012 and 2014. Trained as an algebraic topologist, he has a longstanding interest in computer algebra systems. Eve A. Torrence is a Professor of Mathematics at Randolph-Macon College, Virginia. In 2013, she received an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the highest honor for faculty at colleges and universities in the commonwealth. She has served as the president of Pi Mu Epsilon, the National Mathematics Honor Society, and is a member of the board for the Bridges Organization, which sponsors an international conference on mathematics and the arts. Eve is the author of Cut and Assemble Icosahedra: Twelve Models in White and Color (2011) and enjoys designing mathematical sculpture and incorporating the arts into teaching mathematics.

'This book is an easy-to-read introduction to Mathematica. It is interspersed with helpful hints that make interacting with Mathematica more efficient and examples to test the reader's comprehension. This book is good for learning how to use Mathematica to graph functions, perform algebraic manipulation, and approach topics from calculus and linear algebra. This new version shines some light on entity objects and accessing Wolfram's curated data which is needed because their structure is unintuitive and because of their growing prominence in the Wolfram ecosystem. The new final chapter on 3D printing gives readers the tools to quickly design and 3D print physical objects that embody mathematical surfaces. These two additions showcase recent advances in the Wolfram Language and ensure that the whole book remains relevant and up to date.' Christopher Hanusa, Queens College, City University of New York 'Mathematica has the power to unravel some of the current mysteries of mathematics - but only if you know how to ask it the right questions. The 3rd edition of The Student's Introduction to Mathematica and the Wolfram Language can be your well-used guide for such exploration. Beginning and experienced Mathematica users will easily learn from the pages of this book especially given the recent changes to Mathematica. Even more, the 3rd edition moves into a new dimension, giving details on 3D printing! Grab one for yourself and another for a student you know.' Tim Chartier, Davidson College, North Carolina 'This text, including the exercises and solutions, is written in a student-friendly style ... Unlike most tutorial introductions to Mathematica, the authors go to significant lengths to provide explanations and rationales underlying what a newcomer would likely find confusing ... I believe that this book would be a useful addition to any student's library in a college or university that uses Mathematica.' Marvin Schaefer, MAA Reviews