Provided by: maxima_5.32.1-1_amd64 bug

NAME

       Maxima  -  Common  Lisp version of MACSYMA symbolic mathematics package released under the
       GNU Public License

       Xmaxima - A graphical version of Maxima

SYNOPSIS

       maxima [options]

       xmaxima [options]

DESCRIPTION

       Maxima is a version of the MIT-developed MACSYMA system,  modified  to  run  under  Common
       Lisp.   It  is  an  interactive expert system and programming environment for symbolic and
       numerical  mathematical  manipulation.   Written  in  Lisp,  it  allows   differentiation,
       integration,  solution  of  linear  or  polynomial  equations,  factoring  of polynomials,
       expansion of functions in Laurent or Taylor series, computation of Poisson series,  matrix
       and  tensor  manipulations,  and  two-  and three-dimensional graphics.  Procedures may be
       written using an ALGOL-like syntax, and both  Lisp-like  functions  and  pattern  matching
       facilities  are provided.  Files containing Maxima objects may be read from and written to
       disk files. Pre-written Maxima commands may be read from a  file  and  executed,  allowing
       batch-mode use.

OPTIONS

       -b file, --batch=file
              Process file in noninteractive mode.

       --batch-lisp=file
              Process Lisp file file in noninteractive mode.

       --batch-string=string
              Process string in noninteractive mode.

       -d, --directories
              Display Maxima directory information.

       --disable-readline
              Disable readline support.

       -g, --enable-lisp-debugger
              Enable Lisp debugger.

       -h, --help
              Display a brief usage summary.

       --init=string
              Load  the  Maxima  and  Lisp  initialization  files  string.mac  and string.lisp at
              startup.

       --init-mac=file
              Load the Maxima initialization file file at startup.

       --init-lisp=file
              Load the Lisp initialization file file at startup.

       -l lisp, --lisp=lisp
              Use Lisp implementation lisp. Use --list-avail to see the list of possible values.

       --list-avail
              List the available Lisp and Maxima versions.

       -p lisp_file, --preload-lisp=lisp_file
              Preload lisp_file.

       -q, --quiet
              Suppress Maxima start-up message.

       -r string, --run-string=string
              Process string in interactive mode.

       -s port, --server=port
              Connect Maxima to server on port.  Note that this does not create a Maxima  server;
              Maxima is the client.

       -u version, --use-version=version
              Launch Maxima version version. Use --list-avail to see the list of possible values.

       --userdir=directory
              Use   directory   for   user   directory  (default  is  $HOME/maxima  for  Windows,
              $HOME/.maxima for others)

       -v, --verbose
              Print extra information from the Maxima wrapper script.

       --version
              Print the (default) installed version.

       --very-quiet
              Suppress expression labels and the Maxima start-up message.

       -X Lisp options, --lisp-options=Lisp options
              Options to be given to the underlying Lisp.

INTRODUCTORY INSTRUCTIONS

       Upon initialization, maxima prints a startup message, then a command line prompt:

       (%i1)

       All Maxima commands must be concluded with either:

       1)     a semicolon (in which case the result of the command is echoed on a  display  line,
              prefaced by %o with an appended sequence number), or

       2)     a dollar sign (which suppresses printing of a display line).

EXAMPLE

       (%i1) diff(sin(x),x);

       (%o1)                         cos(x)

       (%i2) integrate(%o1,x);

       (%o2)                         sin(x)

       The  user  types  in  commands  which  create Maxima objects (such as functions and system
       variables) and which manipulate these objects.

       On UNIX it may be preferable to run Maxima under Gnu Emacs or XEmacs.  You can do this  by
       invoking  shell  mode  in  emacs, and then invoking maxima.  Preferably, install maxima.el
       from the distribution and use the command:

              M-x maxima

       The main advantage of working inside emacs is that  it  provides  a  complete  history  of
       input/output.  If you execute the command

              display2d: false

       you will be able to use your output as input, by simply killing and yanking.

       Lisp  is  built into Maxima.  The function to_lisp() enters the Lisp read-eval-print loop.
       The Lisp function (run) may be used  to  return  to  Maxima.  Alternatively,  single  Lisp
       commands may be invoked by starting a command line with :lisp.

BUILT-IN HELP

       The  reference  manual  can  be accessed from the Maxima input prompt.  A description of a
       given command can be obtained by typing the command

       describe(command);

       or, simply,

        ? command

       searches the list of functions  for  the  string  command.   Demonstration  files  provide
       complete  examples  of  problems  solved with Maxima, and may be accessed with the command
       demo(command);.  A library of user-contributed command files is also provided  (the  share
       library), directed toward a variety of problems.

OTHER DOCUMENTATION

       The reference manual is provided in both info and html formats.

COMMAND PRIMER

       This  list includes only commands which the beginner might find useful to know about prior
       to studying the reference manual and other texts.

       batch("myfile");
              Execute the contents of file myfile, which is assumed to contain Maxima commands.

       closefile("myfile");
              Close session file opened by a writefile command (see below).

       demo("myfile");
              Execute the contents of file myfile, which is assumed to contain  Maxima  commands,
              one line at a time.

       ev(infolists);
              Print the contents of all of the available information lists.

       functions;
              Print a list of the names of currently defined functions.

       infolists;
              Print a list of the various available information lists.

       kill(objectlist);
              Eliminate  the object(s) contained within parentheses; kill(all) Delete all objects
              created by the user, restoring Maxima to its initial state.

       quit();
              Leave Maxima.

       reset();
              Reset all Maxima control parameters to their default states.

       values;
              Print a list of the names of currently assigned scalar values.

       writefile("myfile");
              Write record of session to file myfile; only one file at a time can  be  open,  and
              the closefile command must be invoked prior to leaving Maxima to flush the buffer.

PLOTTING COMMANDS

       Maxima  is capable of producing 2- and 3-dimensional plots. Here is a simple 2-dimensional
       example

       plot2d (sin(x), [x, -2*%pi, 2*%pi]);

       and a simple 3-dimensional example

       plot3d (2^(-u^2 + v^2), [u, -5, 5], [v, -7, 7]);

       By default plots are made by the gnuplot plotting package.  Plots can  be  made  by  other
       means; see "? plot_options".  For more information about plotting, see "? plot".

FILES

       /usr/lib/maxima/5.32.1/binary-lisp
                 Compiled files for lisp implementation lisp

       /usr/info primary  documentation  directory,  containing info files which are used for the
                 'describe' command, and also for viewing under emacs or other info viewer.

       /usr/share/maxima/5.32.1/doc/html
                 HTML version of info documentation.

       /usr/share/maxima/5.32.1/demo
                 Maxima demo files.

       /usr/share/maxima/5.32.1/emacs
                 Elisp files for use with Emacs or XEmacs.

       /usr/share/maxima/5.32.1/share
                 Contributed external packages.

       /usr/share/maxima/5.32.1/doc/share
                 Documentation for contributed external packages.

       /usr/share/maxima/5.32.1/src
                 Complete Maxima source.

       /usr/share/maxima/5.32.1/tests
                 Test suite.

       /usr/share/maxima/5.32.1/xmaxima
                 Xmaxima support files.

       /usr/libexec/maxima/5.32.1/
                 Maxima utility scripts.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

       MAXIMA_USERDIR
              Points to a directory for user customization files. Maxima's default  search  paths
              include MAXIMA_USERDIR. Default value: $HOME/.maxima.

       MAXIMA_PREFIX
              Maxima looks for its input files in the directory configured at compile time, /usr.
              Maxima can be relocated to a different directory  as  long  as  the  maxima  script
              maintains  the  same  relative position with respect to the Maxima input files. If,
              for  some  reason,  the  maxima  script  needs  to  be   relocated   independently,
              MAXIMA_PREFIX  needs  to  be  set to point to the top of the tree holding the input
              files.

       MAXIMA_DIRECTORY
              MAXIMA_DIRECTORY is equivalent to MAXIMA_PREFIX. It is included only  for  backward
              compatibility with older versions of Maxima.

       Maxima  uses  several  other  environment  variables  for communication between the maxima
       script and the lisp image. All such variables start with MAXIMA_. They should not need  to
       be modified by the user.

CUSTOMIZATION FILES

       maximarc
              maximarc  is  sourced  by  the  maxima  script  at startup. It should be located in
              $MAXIMA_USERDIR (see above). maximarc can be  used,  e.g.,  to  change  the  user's
              default   lisp   implementation   choice   to   CMUCL   by   including   the   line
              "MAXIMA_LISP=cmucl".

       maxima-init.lisp
              At startup, Maxima will load the lisp file maxima-init.lisp if it is found  in  the
              search  path.  For  user  customization,  maxima-init.lisp  should be placed in the
              $MAXIMA_USERDIR (see above). Since Maxima typically has a  system  maxima-init.lisp
              in the Maxima share directory, the user may want to copy the contents of the system
              maxima-init.lisp into his/her custom file.  Alternatively, the user can load a Lisp
              initialization  file  with  another name or location by means of the --init-lisp or
              --init command-line options.

       maxima-init.mac
              At startup, Maxima will load the file maxima-init.mac if it is found in the  search
              path.    For   user   customization,   maxima-init.mac  should  be  placed  in  the
              $MAXIMA_USERDIR  (see  above).   Alternatively,  the  user  can   load   a   Maxima
              initialization  file  with  another  name or location by means of the --init-mac or
              --init command-line options.

REFERENCES

       Old Reference: MACSYMA Reference Manual (volumes 1 and 2).  The Mathlab Group,  Laboratory
       for Computer Science, MIT.  Version 10.  January 1983.

       Newer references: http://maxima.sourceforge.net

BUGS

       Maxima  is  a  complex  system.  It includes both known and unknown bugs.  Use at your own
       risk. The Maxima bug database is available at

       http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=104933&group_id=4933&func=browse

       New bug reports are always appreciated. Please include the output of the  Maxima  function
       "build_info()" with the report.

AUTHORS

       MACSYMA (Project MAC's SYmbolic MAnipulation System) was developed by the Mathlab group of
       the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (originally known  as  Project  MAC),  during  the
       years  1969-1972.  Their work was supported by grants NSG 1323 of the National Aeronautics
       and  Space  Administration,  N00014-77-C-0641   of   the   Office   of   Naval   Research,
       ET-78-C-02-4687  of  the  U.S.  Department  of Energy, and F49620-79-C-020 of the U.S. Air
       Force.  MACSYMA was further modified for use under the UNIX operating system (for  use  on
       DEC  VAX  computers  and  Sun  workstations),  by  Richard  Fateman  and colleagues at the
       University of California at Berkeley; this version of MACSYMA is  known  as  VAXIMA.   The
       present  version  stems  from a re-working of the public domain MIT MACSYMA for GNU Common
       Lisp, prepared by William Schelter, University of Texas at Austin until his  passing  away
       in  2001.   It  contains  numerous additions, extensions and enhancements of the original.
       The original version of this manual page was written by R. P. C. Rodgers, UCSF  School  of
       Pharmacy,  San  Francisco,  CA  94143  (rodgers@maxwell.mmwb.ucsf.edu)  in  1989.  It  was
       extensively revised by James Amundson in 2002.

       Maxima   is   now   developed    and    maintained    by    the    Maxima    project    at
       <http://maxima.sourceforge.net>.

                                        September 10, 2005                             MAXIMA(1L)