Symbolic Calculators

[andrew.]

Hey guys, I was just wondering on what basis symbolic calculators work. Where would one start when having the computer deal with variables and things like that? Also, about how long do you think it took the developers to create programs like Maple or Mathematica?

[chrisbrown]

Quote:

[MapleSoft's] core intellectual property was developed as an advanced research project [...] in the early 1980s.

(MapleSoft Website)

So Maple (now in its 13th release) is the product of almost 30 years of work.

A simple calculator with support for variables isn't a huge undertaking. One that supports functions, integration, etc... to a usable degree of robustness is. Start by developing a way to model mathematical (as opposed to programmatic) functions in a way that allows you to inspect and act on them, then start creating procedures that do so.

[andrew.]

Okay, I think I'm going to start thinking about a basic solver. Something that solves stuff like: x + 5 = 10. Thanks for the tip!