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<h2><a name='sect2' href='#toc2'>Description</a></h2>
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Mathomatic is a portable Computer Algebra
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System (CAS) that can symbolically solve, simplify, combine, and compare
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equations, perform general complex number and polynomial arithmetic, etc.
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It does some calculus and handles all elementary algebra, except logarithms.
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System (CAS) that can solve, simplify, combine, and compare algebraic equations,
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perform general complex number and polynomial arithmetic, etc. It does some
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calculus and handles all elementary algebra, except logarithms. Plotting
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expressions with gnuplot is also supported.
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<p> <b>mathomatic</b> is the main Mathomatic
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application that does interactive symbolic-numeric mathematics through a
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console interface. The numerical arithmetic is double precision floating
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point with up to 14 decimal digits accuracy. Many results will be exact,
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because multiple combined floating point numbers can be used for a single
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mathematical value; for example: <b>2^(1/3),</b> which is the cubed root of 2 exactly.
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<p> <b>mathomatic</b> is an interactive symbolic-numeric mathematics interpreter. The
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numerical arithmetic is double precision floating point with up to 14 decimal
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digits accuracy. Many results will be exact.
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<p> <b>rmath</b> allows you to use Mathomatic
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with input of functions like sin(x) and sqrt(x) automatically expanded
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to equivalent algebraic expressions by the <b>m4</b> macro processor.
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<p> <b>rmath</b> allows you to use Mathomatic with input of functions like <b>sin(x)</b>
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and <b>sqrt(x)</b> automatically expanded to equivalent algebraic expressions
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by the <b>m4</b> macro processor.
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<h2><a name='sect3' href='#toc3'>Options</a></h2>
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<dd>Enable bold colors. Color mode will be turned on and colors will be brighter
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if this option is specified. Same as the "set bold color" command.
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<dd>Enable bold colors. Color mode will
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be turned on and colors will be brighter if this option is specified. Same
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as the "set bold color" command.
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<dt><b>-c</b> </dt>
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color mode. This mode outputs ANSI terminal escape sequences to make each
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level of parentheses a different color, for easier reading. Requires a terminal
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emulator that supports ANSI color escape sequences. If the colors are too
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hard to see, use the <b>-b</b> option to increase the brightness.
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<dd>Toggle color mode. This mode outputs
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ANSI terminal escape sequences to make each level of parentheses a different
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color, for easier reading. Requires a terminal emulator that supports ANSI
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color escape sequences. If the colors are too hard to see, use the <b>-b</b> option
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to increase the brightness.
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<dt><b>-h</b> </dt>
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help message listing all of these options and then exit.
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<dd>Display a brief help message listing all
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of these options and then exit.
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<dt><b>-m number</b> </dt>
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the memory size of equation spaces. It is followed by a decimal floating
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point number which is a multiplier of the default equation space size. This
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allows larger equation spaces so that manipulating extremely large expressions
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will succeed without getting the "Expression too large" error. Specifying
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a number higher than 100 may make Mathomatic unresponsive.
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<dd>Change the memory size of equation
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spaces. It is followed by a decimal floating point number which is a multiplier
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of the default equation space size. This allows larger equation spaces so
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that manipulating extremely large expressions will succeed without getting
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the "Expression too large" error. Specifying a number higher than 100 may
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make Mathomatic unresponsive.
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<dt><b>-q</b> </dt>
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mode. The startup message and prompts are not displayed. This is useful when
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piping or redirecting input into Mathomatic, because the input won’t be
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displayed, so prompt output should be turned off. This option does the same
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thing as the "set no prompt" command.
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<dd>Set quiet mode. The startup message and
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prompts are not displayed. This is useful when piping or redirecting input
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into Mathomatic, because the input won’t be displayed, so prompt output
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should be turned off. This option does the same thing as the "set no prompt"
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<dt><b>-r</b> </dt>
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<dd>Disable readline input processing.
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Readline allows using the cursor keys and outputs terminal control codes
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which can be turned off with this option.
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<dd>Disable readline input processing. Readline allows using the
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cursor keys and outputs terminal control codes which can be turned off
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<dt><b>-s level</b> </dt>
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<dd>Set the enforced security
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level for the Mathomatic session. Level 0 is the default with no security.
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Level 1 disallows shelling out. Level 2 disallows shelling out and writing
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files. Level 3 disallows shelling out and reading/writing files for complete
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security. This run-time option was created for use on open public servers
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that can’t use the SECURE compile-time define.
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<dd>Set the enforced security level for the Mathomatic
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session. Level 0 is the default with no security. Level 1 disallows shelling
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out. Level 2 disallows shelling out and writing files. Level 3 disallows
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shelling out and reading/writing files for complete security. This run-time
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option was created for use on open public servers that can’t use the SECURE
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<dt><b>-t</b> </dt>
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<dd>Set test mode. Used when
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testing and comparing output. Bypasses loading startup file, turns off color
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mode and readline, sets wide output mode, ignores pause command, etc.
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<dd>Set test mode. Used when testing and comparing output.
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Bypasses loading startup file, turns off color mode and readline, sets
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wide output mode, ignores pause command, etc.
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<dd>Guarantee that standard output and standard error output are unbuffered.
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<dd>Guarantee that standard
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output and standard error output are unbuffered. Useful when piping.
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<dt><b>-v</b> </dt>
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<dd>Display version number, compilation options used,
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maximum possible memory usage, then exit.
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version number, compilation options used, maximum possible memory usage,
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<dt><b>-w</b> </dt>
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<dd>Set wide output mode for an
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unlimited width output device like the "set wide" command does. Sets infinite
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screen columns and rows so that 2D (two dimensional) expression output
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will always succeed and not be downgraded to 1D output when it doesn’t fit
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in the display area. Use when redirecting output or with a terminal emulator
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that doesn’t wrap lines. This mode only affects 2D output.
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<dd>Set wide output mode for an unlimited width output device
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like the "set wide" command does. Sets infinite screen columns and rows
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so that 2D (two dimensional) expression output will always succeed and
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not be downgraded to 1D output when it doesn’t fit in the display area. Use
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when redirecting output or with a terminal emulator that doesn’t wrap lines.
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This mode only affects 2D output.
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<dt><b>-x</b> </dt>
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output mode (which is also valid XHTML). This makes Mathomatic output suitable
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for inclusion in a web page. The color mode and bold colors flags affect
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this mode, allowing HTML color output. Wide output mode is also set by this
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option, meaning expressions will always be displayed in 2D.
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<dd>Enable HTML output mode (which is also
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valid XHTML). This makes Mathomatic output suitable for inclusion in a web
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page. The color mode and bold colors flags affect this mode, allowing HTML
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color output. Wide output mode is also set by this option, meaning expressions
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will always be displayed in 2D.
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<h2><a name='sect4' href='#toc4'>General</a></h2>
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any options, text files may be specified on the shell command line that
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will be automatically read in with the read command.
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<p> Mathomatic is best
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run from within a terminal emulator. It uses console line input and output
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for the user interface. First you type in your algebraic equations in standard
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infix notation, then you can solve them by typing in the variable name
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at the prompt, or perform operations on them with simple English commands.
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Type "help" or "?" for the help command. If the command is longer than 4
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letters, you only need to type in the first 4 letters. Most commands operate
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on the current equation by default.
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<p> A command preceded by an exclamation
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point (such as "!ls") is taken to be a shell command and is passed unchanged
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to the shell (/bin/sh). "!" by itself invokes the default shell, which is
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specified in the SHELL environment variable. "!" is also the factorial operator.
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After any options, text files may
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be specified on the shell command line that will be automatically read
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in with the read command.
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<p> Mathomatic is best run from within a terminal
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emulator. It uses console line input and output for the user interface. First
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you type in your mathematical equations in standard infix notation, then
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you can solve them by typing in the variable name at the prompt, or perform
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operations on them with simple English commands. Type "help" or "?" for
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the help command. If the command is longer than 4 letters, you only need
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to type in the first 4 letters. Most commands operate on the current equation
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<p> A command preceded by an exclamation point (such as "!ls")
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is taken to be a shell command and is passed unchanged to the shell (/bin/sh).
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"!" by itself invokes the default shell, which is specified in the SHELL
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environment variable. "!" is also the factorial operator.
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<p> Complete documentation
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is available in HTML format; see the local documentation directory or online
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at "<a href='http://mathomatic.org/math/doc/'>http://mathomatic.org/math/doc/</a>
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" for the latest Mathomatic documentation.
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<p> Complete documentation is available in HTML format; see the local documentation
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directory or online at "<a href='http://mathomatic.org/math/doc/'>http://mathomatic.org/math/doc/</a>
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Mathomatic documentation.
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<h2><a name='sect5' href='#toc5'>Environment</a></h2>
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<dt><b>EDITOR</b> </dt>
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<dd>The EDITOR environment variable
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specifies which text editor to use for the edit command.
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<dd>The EDITOR environment variable specifies which text
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editor to use for the edit command.