I have an exam in vector analysis soon, and it happens quite often we're supposed to parametrize the surface of as solid. Is there a way to get maple to plot the solid so it's simpler to visualize the current situation? Suppose for example that E is the solid defined by x^2+y^2+z^2=<>a^2 with a some constant and =<> means greater than or equal to. Suppose S is the boundary-surface of E. How do I plot S in the easiest way? It's for use for an exam so time is precious.

I'm new to Maple. I'm quite competent with Matlab, with competent meaning I have some experience using it for analysis of physical data. I'm very experienced in using my TI-89 Titanium I have decided to give Maple a try since I'm not satisfied with the way Matlab handles symbolic expressions. I also want to tryif there's anything better than Matlab. I'm majoring in physics, and I hope to get my bachelor degree in a year. So far I have been writing all my assignments that needed a computer in Microsoft Word, but that is far from satisfactory. I have been considering learning myself LaTeX, but I have been thinking if it's just as good to use Maple to write articles and documents. Can I write an article as fast in Maple as I can in LaTeX? Speed is key for me naturally. Can I write LaTeX directly in Maple?