Introduction to Maple

The first edition of this book has been very well received by the community. The new version 4 of Maple V contains so many new mathematical features and improvements in the user interface that Waterloo Maple Inc. markets it as 'the Power Edition. ' These two facts have made it necessary to write a second edition within a short period of the first. I corrected typographical errors, rephrased text, updated and improved many examples, and added much new material. Hardly any chapter has been left untouched. Substan- tially changed or added sections and chapters address the assume facility, I/O, approximation theory, integration, composite data types, simplifica- tion, graphics, differential equations, and matrix algebra. Tables summa- rize features, command options, etc. , and constitute a quick reference. The enlarged index of the book has been carefully compiled to make locating search items quick and easy. Many new examples have been included show- ing how to use Maple as a problem solver, how to assist the system during computations, and how to extend its built-in facilities. About the Maple Version Used The second edition of this book is fully revised and updated to Maple V Release 4. More precisely, the second edition of this book was produced with Maple V Release 4, beta 3 on a SUN SPARCstation 20, Model 71. There should be hardly any difference between this beta version and the final release; only minor differences in the user interface are not excluded.