COMPUTERS
and MAPLE
Important information for students who are taking Calculus
All students in Math 103, 104, 114, and 115 are using Maple,
a powerful mathematical software package that is capable of doing symbolic,
numerical and graphical computations. This software will be used in classroom
demonstrations, and you will be required to use it for some of your homework
assignments throughout the semester.
Since it is likely that Maple is new to you, there is substantial support
available to help you learn and use Maple effectively. Here are some answers to
some basic questions you may have about Maple and some information about the
various sources of Maple help that you can take advantage of.
Whither Maple? We are
using Maple
8 beginning in Fall 2002. There are two ways for students to get access to
Maple:
- Maple has been installed in
most of the computer labs at Penn, including those in residence halls and
in academic buildings. In each location, there are Macintosh and/or
Windows PCs, where Maple should be found either the Applications folder or
the Start Menu, respectively. When you visit a campus lab, it is a good
idea to bring a floppy disk to save your work.
- If you own your own computer,
then you can probably run Maple on it. Maple is available at the bookstore
for Macintosh, Windows, and Linux computers. Be sure to check the system
requirements on the package to verify that your computer can run the
software.
Maple
Documentation – It is crucial that everyone have some documentation
and references for the use of Maple. Information about the commands we will be
using for calculus at Penn is contained in this book. Use it!! Browse the
manual parts (pp. 21-141) and refer to them when you have specific questions
for doing assignments. Also look at the solved problems (pp. 142-254) for
examples of how Maple can be used in situations specific to the part of
calculus you are currently studying. The documentation that comes with the
software also provides useful information for using Maple to perform a wide variety
of mathematical tasks. Other books about Maple are available at the Penn
Bookstore.
Orientation
Sessions -- During
the first full week of classes in the Fall Semester, there will be Maple
Orientation Sessions. Attendance at one of these is required if you are new to
taking calculus at Penn. These
are 45-minute sessions at which you will begin to use the software you need for
your homework, with someone knowledgeable there to help if you get stuck. Sign-up
sheets for these sessions will be posted outside room A1 in the lobby of DRL.
In the Spring Semester a few of these sessions are available, but they are not
required.
Maple Help -- Several sources of Maple help are available
to you during the semester. First, you should go to your professor and TA. They
can help you with basic questions during their office hours. However, if you
need help outside of those hours, there are Math Advisors and the Maple Center
available to help you. See the Calculus General Information section (pp. 3-5 of
this manual), and the undergraduate Math web page:
http://www.math.upenn.edu/ugrad/Undergrad.html
for
further information about these programs and other help that is available.
It is important to realize that very little time will be spent in calculus
classes discussing Maple syntax. You must learn this from the examples done in
class and by reading and experimenting on your own. If you are having trouble
doing this on your own, then use the available resources such as your Math Advisor and the Maple Center.
Work Habits -- There are more than 1500 students taking
calculus with Maple every semester. Therefore, it is crucial that you develop
some good work habits and take precautions so that you do not waste your time
or other people's time. We try to schedule computer assignments so that not all
classes have assignments due at the same time. But do not leave computer work
until the last minute. Inevitably, there will be problems with printers or busy
machines or just plain hard math. Be sure to begin your work in a timely manner,
and work steadily until all assignments are completed. In general, common sense
and courtesy will go a long way towards alleviating logistical problems which
inevitably arise.
Be sure to save your work on floppy disks or by uploading it to your
computer account over the network. It is a good idea to begin a separate file
for each problem in a long assignment rather than saving your work in one long
file. This makes it easier to make small changes, and it saves paper since you
don't have to print everything again once you edit.
A Campus Labs List
is posted on the Web, including information on the number and type of computers
in each labs, with lab hours and telephone numbers. For general information
about using Public Access Computer Labs, see www.upenn.edu/computing/view/labs/.
Here is a list of labs where Maple is accessible:
College House Computing Labs
Hamilton Village Area:
DuBois College House (Room 131)
Hamilton College House (Room 106)
Harrison College House (Upper Lobby)
Harnwell College House (Room 207)
International Programs (Harnwell Room 1901)
Stouffer College House (Mayer Hall
Study Lounge)
Gregory College House (Class of ’25 lab, Rooms 13 and 14,
basement)
Gregory College House (Van Pelt
Manor, Room 123)
Quad Area:
Community House (Ashurst, Room 105)
Goldberg College House (Fohderer, Room
224)
Ware College House (McClelland Hall rear)
Spruce College House (Third Floor, Provost Tower)
Stouffer College House (Stouffer Room
171F)
East Campus Area:
King's Court / English College House (First floor)
Sansom Tower East (Basement)
Hill College House (First floor)
Other Locations
Class of 1937 Computer Lab (Van Pelt-Dietrich Library
Center, 3420 Walnut St)
DRL PC Lab (Room 4N16, David Rittenhouse Labs, 209
S 33rd Street)
Long Island Friends of Penn Computer
Area (Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center)
MMETS Macintosh and PC Computer Classrooms (Basement, DRL)
Rosengarten Computer Lab (Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center)
Towne PC Lab (Room M62, Towne
Building, 220
S 33rd Street)
Lower Level Towne PC Lab (Basement Room 144, Towne
Building)
Undergraduate Data Analysis Lab (Rooms 104, 108-9 McNeil
Building, 3718 Locust Walk)
Problems? -- If there are any problems with
Maple installations, contact your Residential Information Technology Advisor or
the Computer Resource
Center.