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Subsections


Maple Introduction

Logging On

You can log onto any PC in the lab using your academic username and password. You are most likely to run Maple from a PC in the math lab (SH 306). Maple 15 is also available on all of the CCC UNIX Alpha servers (ie. Fuller labs FL 222).

Labs on the Internet

After logging on, you can open Microsoft Internet Explorer by clicking on the icon. The labs will be posted on the web each week at the address given below. When you open the internet explorer, you will automatically be on WPI's home page www.wpi.edu/. To get to the location of the lab, type in the address bar www.math.wpi.edu or www.wpi.edu/+math. Then click on Resources, then Academic Resources and then Current Course Materials. You should add this location to your favorites so that you can get there quicker in the future. Here, you should also choose the course that you are currently registered for and then click on the lab for that week.

Starting Maple 15

The machines in the lab are set up with a shortcut for Standard Worksheet Maple 15, so just double-click on the shortcut and Maple 15 will start up.

If this is the first time you have started Maple 15 on this machine, you may first see a Security Alert window. Check the box so this alert won't appear again. Next, a startup dialog will appear asking you to choose between Worksheet mode and Document mode. Choose Worksheet mode. A Tip of the Day window may also be displayed. These are generally not relevant to the labs, so check the box so that these tips won't appear again and close this window.

Maple Options

The next task is to set up the interface to closely mimic the one you are familiar with from Classic Worksheet Maple. If you don't follow these steps, it will be hard for you to follow instructions in the lab and it will be hard for you to get help. You will only have to do this once on each mahine you use. If you use the same machine every time, you will only have to do this once.

  1. Pull down the Tools menu and select the Options... item. This will bring up a window with several tabs at the top.
  2. Select the Display tab. Change the settings (if needed) so that they are as shown below.

    Setting Value
    Input display: Maple Notation
    Output display: 2-D Math Notation
  3. Select the Interface tab. Change the settings (if needed) so that they are as shown below.

    Setting Value
    Default format for new worksheets: Worksheet
  4. Click Apply Globally so that these options will be saved and will apply to any future Maple 15 sessions for you on this machine.
  5. Exit Maple 15 and start it up again. The interface should now look familiar to you and you shouldn't see any more crashes.

Every Maple lab will have a background that will explain the mathematical concepts as well as the Maple commands for that week. The labs will reinforce what you are learning in your course. At the end of the background, you will find exercises that will be completed during lab time and handed in at the end of class. The labs must be completed with a partner. You should not collaborate with any other partners. The labs should also be completed using proper format, ie. title, names, labeling of exercises and answers to questions written in text. It is recommended that you create a template in Maple that could be used for every lab.

Saving Worksheets

To save a Maple worksheet that you have created, select the Save option or the Save as option from the File menu. You should save in
HOME(\\filer.wpi.edu).
If this is the first time you have saved this worksheet, choose a name that you would like to save this file as and the extension .mw is automatically added to this file name. After the first time you have saved a worksheet, selecting Save saves your changes to the same file. An important thing to keep in mind is to save your worksheet often since it is very frustrating to lose unsaved work. A saved worksheet can be reopened in Maple by selecting the Open option from the File menu. You will need to re-execute all Maple commands necessary to continue working on a worksheet after it has been closed.

Printing Worksheets

To print out a worksheet, you must be running Maple and have the worksheet loaded that you want to print. When you select the Print option from the File menu or click on the printer icon at the top of your Maple worksheet, you will notice a dialogue box will appear. You should make sure the printer name selected is sh_306. It is preferrable to print 2 pages per sheet to save paper. To do this, you should select the option properties in the print dialogue box and then select finishing. Here you will see the option for printing two pages per sheet and you should also click on the print page borders option as well. Then you should click the OK button and then another OK button. Print only one copy of the lab.

Maple Commands

Every Maple command has a few essential components. Each Maple line starts with the command name and is usually followed by parentheses. Within these parentheses are the arguments of the command. Depending on which command you are using, there will be a certain number of arguments separated by commas. At end of each command is either a colon or a semicolon. Without a colon or a semicolon, Maple will not process the command. When you don't care to see the output of a command, a colon is used since it will execute the command, but suppress the output. A semicolon is used in all other cases as you will most likely want to see the output. The best thing to do if you forget how a specific command should be used, the order of the arguments, or any possible additional arguments is to take advantage of Maple's help by typing
?command_name
at the Maple prompt. This will bring up a help screen. If you scroll down to the bottom of this help screen, you will find several different examples of how the command in question can be used. When you are finished with the help window, you should close it.
next up previous
Next: About this document ... Up: lab_template Previous: lab_template
Dina J. Solitro-Rassias
2011-08-23