What is Mathematica? | Getting Mathematica | What is Mathematica used for?
What are the best steps to start using Mathematica?
What is Mathematica?
Mathematica is the world's most powerful global computing environment. Ideal for use in engineering, mathematics, finance, physics, chemistry, biology, and a wide range of other fields, it makes possible a new level of automation in algorithmic computation, interactive manipulation, and dynamic presentation--as well as a whole new way of interacting with the world of data.
Getting Mathematica...
Mathematica is currently licensed for the Mathematics and Physics departments. Faculty users in other departments will be required to pay an annual fee, which will include a home-use license as well as allow students in that department to use Mathematica on their personal machines..
- Faculty who want Mathematica to use on college-owned computers need to fill out this campus computer form. If you are not in the Physics or Mathematics departments, there will be an annual fee for Mathematica. Please contact Jeff Wragg, in the Physics and Astronomy Department for details.
- Faculty who want a home-use license need to fill out this home-use form, which will require our site license number -- L3452-5001
- Students' personally-owned machines: Students can apply for Mathematica by creating a Wolfram ID using your CofC email address, from this form, and then log in to fill out the application form. Please do not request it twice.
What are the best steps to start using Mathematica?
If you are brand-new to Mathematica, below are some suggestions on the best ways to get started.
Students
- Watch the "Hands-On Start to Mathematica" tutorial screencast.
- Explore the Learning Center for topics relevant to your interests.
- Launch Mathematica, open the Classroom Assistant, and perform your first few computations.
- You're now ready for the projects that faculty will assign.
Teaching faculty
- Check out the Faculty Member Portal.
- Sign up for the Faculty Member Program.
- Sign up for the "Overview of Mathematica for Education" seminar.
- Explore the Learning Center for topics relevant to your interests.
- Find some prebuilt examples and courseware from the Demonstrations Project, MathWorld, and the Library Archive.
Research faculty
- Sign up for the "Overview of Mathematica for Education" seminar.
- Take other seminars relevant to your work.
- Explore the Learning Center for topics relevant to your interests.
- Go to the Demonstrations Project site to see what's possible.
- Go to the Library Archive for additional resources.
updated: 30 August 2015 - jlw