Mathematical Software

Here are links to some of the software that we will use in the mathematics courses.

WinPlot

WinPlot is free software used to graph functions.

  1. Download WinPlot. This link downloads a local copy of the program as wp32z.exe. This is a self-extracting zip file that contains a single file winplot.exe.
  2. Open the file and extract the contents to somewhere. The suggested location is c:\peanut
  3. You may wish to create a shortcut to the program. To place one on your desktop, browse to c:\peanut, right click on winplot.exe, and send to desktop.

WinPlot is available only for Windows, there is no Macintosh version.

The latest version is from September 2012. Sadly, Rick passed away in October 2012 so this program is no longer updated, but it was in a pretty stable and useful condition at the time. I had the opportunity to email Rick a few times regarding Winplot. He was responsive, always willing to add new features, amazingly insightful, and a skilled programmer. He will be missed. For several years, Exeter Academy kept Rick's web pages up, but they have now been discontinued.

Maxima

Maxima is a free, open source computer algebra system (CAS). Although the school has a site license for Derive and it's a little easier to use, our site license does not allow the students to download or use the software at home.

  1. Download Maxima from their website. Begin by choosing the appropriate operating system. If you're using Windows, read the warning below before choosing which version to download.
  2. Run the installation program. You probably do not need support for the foreign languages, but be sure to install wxMaxima (you do not need to install xMaxima unless you want to).

Maxima is available for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Android.

Warning! You may not want the latest version, especially if it ends in a .0. For example, version 5.39.0 for Windows has a bug with the mouse support where you cannot select any of the output using the mouse and you cannot use the right mouse button to choose which command to execute. Stay away from it! Version 5.38.1 for Windows does not have this bug.

DP Graph

This is a three dimensional graphing program that is quite useful in Calculus 3. Richland has a site license that allows you to download it free of charge.

  1. Download DP Graph from their website. Be sure to choose the software for Richland Community College, 62521, US
  2. Run the installation program.

DP Graph is available only for Windows, there is no Macintosh version.

Microsoft Office

While technically not a mathematics program, Richland offers Microsoft Office 365 free to students enrolled in credit courses. This includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Publisher. It is available through the Microsoft Student Advantage program.