Here's a tip for people new to Maple or to 2-D input: always use a space for implied multiplication. 2-D math input in Maple allows for implicit multiplication, which is writing a multiplication operation without an explicit multiplication operator. An example is x y. The space is not always required in cases where there is no ambiguity. However, it is highly recommended that you include it. An example that catches many new users (and some experienced ones as well) is s(t+u). This does not mean s times t+u, but the function s applied to t+u

One issue that often confuses users is local versus global optimization in Maple. I'm just going to give an overview here and will explore specific optimization topics more deeply in future blog entries. Please note that I'm covering only the numeric optimization methods here. I'll leave discussion of the exact methods in Maple to others more knowledgeable about those areas.

The Optimization package is built into Maple and is available to all users. This is primarily...

Question: How do I generate tickmarks in multiples of Pi? The answer has been posted before but this question comes up often enough that it is worth repeating. In Maple 10 and earlier versions, you had to build a custom list of tickmarks, and the only way you could get the Greek pi symbol was to use the Symbol font. In Maple 11, you can use the new 'spacing' structure with the 'tickmarks' option. To get tickmarks in multiples of Pi, use: > plot(sin(x), x=0..8*Pi, tickmarks=[spacing(Pi), default]); To get tickmarks spaced by 2*Pi, replace spacing(Pi) with spacing(2*Pi). To get the tickmarks occuring on the odd multiples of Pi, use spacing(2*Pi, Pi). The second argument is a fixed value from which the other tickmarks are determined.

Well, that last blog entry sure generated a lot of discussion! I'm going to move on to something a bit more fun and less controversial: how to generate a 3-D plot of a polyhedron. There are different ways to do this in Maple, depending on how complicated the polyhedron is and what else you want to do with it. I've uploaded a worksheet with a few simple examples. View 86_PolyhedraExample.mw on MapleNet or Download 86_PolyhedraExample.mw
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I've been asked: how do I include a mathematical expression in a plot caption without having it evaluate? An example is displaying 2(x+y) in the caption without having it appear as 2x+2y. The easiest way to do this is to create an atomic identifier from the expression in the input line. In the 2-D input line, you'll have plot(..., caption=2(x+y)). Select 2(x+y) and right-click to bring up the context menu. Then go to 2-D Math -> Convert To -> Atomic Identifier. This turns the expression into a single name. Note that it is no longer equivalent to the expression 2(x+y), even though it looks exactly like it.