Tutorial

The Mathematica Usage Tutorial section of MathematicaHandbook™ is suitable for students with a lower division undergraduate science or engineering background. No  previous knowledge of Mathematica is required. It is designed to quickly allow the novice  to harness the power of Mathematica to solve problems of applied mathematics,  physics, chemistry, and engineering.

Topics covered include:

• Basic syntax of symbols, lists, complex numbers, replacement rules, etc.
• The Mathematica environment and front end commands
• Programming in Mathematica
• Using Vectors and Integrals in realistic physics calculations
• Numerical Analysis including roots of equations, linear algebra,
  curve fitting, and basic statistics
• Pattern Matching and symbolic calculations
• Reading and writing data files including spreadsheets and graphics
• Plotting and graphics
• Numerical solution of differential equations

Numerous examples of science and engineering computation tasks are provided  to illustrate each topic. There are quizzes with solutions at the end  of each chapter in the “Mathematica Usage Tutorials” section. The Tutorial has been  refined through extensive classroom experience; most of the common student errors and misconceptions  are anticipated and clearly explained. Detailed solutions  of standard problems provide templates which can be modified and adapted to other problems of  interest.

Advantages for students:

• Compact and easy to use. Each chapter begins with a list of hyperlinks  to important topics which lead to a brief discussion with several examples.
• Information is right where you need it: on the monitor next to your work
• Great for self-study
• Cheap. About 25% of the price of conventional paper books that cover comparable material.

Advantages for instructors:

• Self-contained tutorial with quizzes will get students up to speed quickly,  with minimal lecturing required.
• Great for computer labs
• Cheap. Can be used as an auxiliary text without overburdening the student’s budget