MacMath 9.2: A Dynamical Systems Software Package for the Macintosh?

MacMath is a scientific toolkit for the Macintosh computer consisting of twelve graphics programs. It supports mathematical computation and experimentation in dynamical systems, both for differential equations and for iteration. The MacMath package was designed to accompany the textbooks Differential Equations: A Dynamical Systems Approach Part I & II. The text and software was developed for a junior-senior level course in applicable mathematics at Cornell University, in order to take advantage of excellent and easily accessible graphics. MacMath addresses differential equations and iteration such as: analyzer, diffeq, phase plane, diffeq 3D views, numerical methods, periodic differential equations, cascade, 2D iteration, eigenfinder, jacobidraw, fourier, planets. These versatile programs greatly enhance the understanding of the mathematics in these topics. Qualitative analysis of the picture leads to quantitative results and even to new mathematics. This new edition includes the latest version of the Mac Math diskette, 9.2.

Dynamical systems in the field of mathematics which describes how systems evolve in time. One of the major new insights in mathematics, largely due to the advent of computers and computer graphics, is how extraordinarily complicated the motions of a system can be, even when the underlying rules are extremely simple. Observation of these motions has led scientists to call some of them "chaotic" and "fractal". MacMath is a collection of programs designed to help the user analyze both differential equations and iterations. These are some of the newer tools used in the study of dynamical systems, which can be used to display simple or very complex phenomena.