Author Topic: Maxima on Android  (Read 10839 times)

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Offline Nosferatu Arucard 1983

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Maxima on Android
« on: January 07, 2013, 11:38:24 am »
Since I like the Maxima CAS, I decided to open a discussion thread about the Android port of this software.

This system can be installed in every Android device (even the lowest grade smartphones), and requires about 90 Mb of storage space to install (32 Mb in internal storage is mandatory, the other stuff can be installed in SD card).
 Just open Google Play on your Android smartphone/tablet and search for "Maxima on Android".

 Once the APK is sucefully installed, the program asks first the location of data files (about 60 Mb), and then just wait (low Android devices can take up a minute to install everything) to install the LISP interpreter, all Maxima code written in LISP, the Gnuplot renderer, and finally the full Maxima Manual (you need to read this first!  ;)).
 When all stuff is installed, the program restarts and prompt you to a single command line box (the input area), and a virtual page to display the results and other technical information. (Math formulas are rendered with a built-in LaTeX parser).

 Using the Menu button, you can open the Maxima Manual and read all stuff (you can even program in Maxima  O.O) before you try, but I will take a quick guide to use.

 All comands sentences should end with a semicolon (;), or a syntax error will be prompted.
 E.g: "2+6;" will give  "8" , in output area.
 Since Maxima was written in LISP, the main syntax obeys the structures of lists and sentences (but you don't need to use the RPN format)

 Maxima suports all trigonometric functions, exponentials and natural logarithms. Some special functions like Riemann's zeta function, gamma function, Bessel functions are fully supported.

 Maxima can calculate many simbolic integrals, just use the primitive command: "integrate"
 e.g:  integrate(x^2,x);
 Result:
 x^3/3

 Defined integrals are normally calculated using the Barrow's Rule, but in some situations some advanced technics like the [wikipedia]Residue_theorem[/wikipedia] are used, or in some special cases, special functions are used.

 e.g: Maxima cannot evaluate the following integral:
 integrate((x*sin(x)+cos(x))/(x^4+x^2+1),x);

(It will retirn the result unevaluted, since it don't knows any anti-derivative of the sample function written above):

But if the limits of integration are all real line (minus infinity to plus infinity), and the poles of function are imaginary numbers, then the Residues Theorem are used by Maxima, and the integral are calculated:
 integrate((x*sin(x)+cos(x))/(x^4+x^2+1),x,-inf,+inf);

 (The  result are:)
exp(-sqrt(3)/2)*((2*sqrt(3)+3)*pi*sin(1/2)+sqrt(3)*pi*cos(1/2))/3

 Maxima knows some constants like the Euler's number (%e), the Pi (%pi), the imaginary constant (%i) and the Euler-Mascheroni constant (%gamma), and all is signed by the % prefix to avoid confusion.

 Other example of integration calculus involve some adicional parameter that Maxima can ask during evalution:
 e.g: integrate(cos(x^n),x,0,inf);

 Maxima don't know the domain of n, so it ask if n is positive or negative, and you need to answer in input box (positive;).
 After a couple of questions, Maxima outputs the result:
 gamma(1/n)*cos(pi/(2*n))/n

 To calculate derivatives, just use the diff operator:
e.g: diff(sin(x),x);
output: cos(x)

 Maxima can even calculate derivatives of special functions:
 diff(gamma(x),x);
 gamma(x)*psi[0](x)

 diff(psi[n](x),x);
 psi[n+1](x)

 I hope you enjoy this simple introduction...  :)

Offline Xeda112358

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Re: Maxima on Android
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2013, 11:45:43 am »
That is pretty cool o.o I remember seeing that you were working on this when you introduced yourself. So can it evaluate contour integrals, I couldn't tell?  I do not own an Android device, so I won't be able to test this out, but this is cool! As well, can it handle step functions (like the Heavyside function)? It definitely seems to have all that one would need, nice job!

Offline Nick

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Re: Maxima on Android
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2013, 01:06:14 pm »
Well, it seems very promising. I'll test it asap, but I can't acces internet with my phone right now. This really looks good, did you port it yourself?

Offline SpiroH

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Re: Maxima on Android
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2013, 08:48:04 am »
I'm sorry for this necropost, but i feel it would be interesting to compare Maxima (on Android) capabilities against the much hyped 'HP Prime'. Anyone with that cross-experience?

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Re: Maxima on Android
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2013, 12:54:22 am »
Well, the main capacity that the HP Prime has over Maxima is that calculators have bigger chances to be allowed in classes than phones. Phones are banned from classes more often than calcs due to idiots who forget to put their phone in vibration mode (even worse: those who actually engage into a convo over the phone instead of letting the teacher talk). On the other hand, it is not guaranteed that the HP Prime will be allowed at standarized tests like the SAT yet, since it uses a touchscreen and has a CAS (although the CAS can be disabled by teachers).

Offline SpiroH

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Re: Maxima on Android
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2013, 09:12:06 am »
My thoughts were/are the following: taking for granted that the OP (Nosferatu) has really tested Maxima and was happy with the experience (and i have no reasons to doubt it, whatsoever!), it would be always be handy to have available a second result to cross-check with the ones from the newly just-introduced Prime. Of course, i'm only considering the CAS part.
As for the school allowing phones, i guess it will take a little while until school authorities figure out a way to permit phones. As a teacher, i can tell you, that it only requires a little bit more thinking at the time the
examinations are elaborated. Future times will include online counselling, anyway. You just can't live without it, anymore. Let's hope the OP will soon login again. Welcome to the future. ;)

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Re: Maxima on Android
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2013, 02:29:01 am »
I think phones will be allowed once Android and/or iOS are updated with a new teacher/restricted mode that allows teachers to lock down wi-fi/3G or if the schools ever get the money and figure out the technology to build classrooms in which no 3G/wi-fi/mobile waves/signal cannot get in.

Offline Nosferatu Arucard 1983

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Re: Maxima on Android
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2013, 09:32:36 am »
I get some screenshots to show some amazing capabilities of Maxima, directly fro my Android tablet:

Maxima Start-Up


Making some integrals that HP Prime fail to do so...  :(
But Maxima can do...  :D



Now a extreme example, that Maxima can integrate only in some special cases:


This results needs to be scrolled horizontaly to notice the full evaluation:





 ;D

HP Prime and Maxima can be fairly compared in integrals when both can evaluate:



HP-Prime knows the Exponential Integral [wikipedia]Exponential_integral[/wikipedia], the Sine Integral [wikipedia]Sine_integral[/wikipedia], Cosine Integral [wikipedia]Cosine_integral[/wikipedia] fairy well to evaluate the indefinitive integrals listed upward.
 Maxima knows those functions, but evaluates them in terms of Incomplete Gamma Function [wikipedia]Incomplete_gamma_function[/wikipedia].
 Maxima don't know all proprieties of Incomplete Gamma Function, so the HP Prime can make the second indefinite integral using the Sine, Cosine, Exponential Integral Functions, but Maxima left the integral unevaluated  :(

When a definite integral are applied, both softwares evaluate the same result correctly  :D. Are both use the Residue Theorem.

To finish the first facing off between HP Prime and Maxima, let's use Maxima to calculate an insane limit that I found in Math Exchange, that use hypergeometric Functions  O.O [wikipedia]Hypergeometric_function[/wikipedia]






Offline SpiroH

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Re: Maxima on Android
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2013, 10:54:42 am »
Thanks. :)

Offline Legimet

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Re: Maxima on Android
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2013, 09:17:28 pm »
Looks great! :)

I am definitely installing this on my android tablet.