The Maple Handbook

How to Use This Handbook The Maple Handbook is a complete reference tool for the Maple language, and is written for all Maple users, regardless of their dis­ cipline or field(s) of interest. All the built-in mathematical, graphic, and system-based commands available in Maple V Release 2 are detailed herein. Please note that The Maple Handbook does not teach about the mathematics behind Maple commands. If you do not know the meaning of such concepts as definite integral, identity matrix, or prime integer, do not expect to learn them here. As well, while the introductory sections to each chapter taken together do provide a basic overview of the capabilities of Maple, it is highly recom­ mended that you also read a more thorough tutorial such as In­ troduction to Maple by Andre Heck or First Leaves: A Tutorial Introduction to Maple. Overall Organization One of the main premises of The Maple Handbook is that most Maple users approach the system to solve a particular problem (or set of problems) in a specific subject area. Therefore, all commands are organized in logical subsets that reflect these different cate­ gories (e.g., calculus, algebra, data manipulation, etc.) and the com­ mands within a subset are explained in a similar language, creating a tool that allows you quick and confident access to the information necessary to complete the problem you have brought to the system.