The Mathematica guidebook for programming

This comprehensive, detailed reference provides readers with both a working knowledge of Mathematica in general and a detailed knowledge of the key aspects needed to create the fastest, shortest, and most elegant implementations possible. It gives users a deeper understanding of Mathematica by instructive implementations, explanations, and examples from a range of disciplines at varying levels of complexity. The three volumes -- Programming, Graphics, and Mathematics, total 3,000 pages and contain more than 15,000 Mathematica inputs, over 1,500 graphics, 4,000+ references, and more than 500 exercises. This first volume begins with the structure of Mathematica expressions, the syntax of Mathematica, its programming, graphic, numeric and symbolic capabilities. It then covers the hierarchical construction of objects out of symbolic expressions, the definition of functions, the recognition of patterns and their efficient application, program flows and program structuring, and the manipulation of lists. An indispensible resource for students, researchers and professionals in mathematics, the sciences, and engineering.

I Introduction: *Remarks *Basics of Mathematica as a Programming Language *Introductory Examples *What Computer Algebra and Mathematica 4.0 Can and Cannot Do Exercises Solutions References II Structure of Mathematica Expressions: *Remarks *Expressions *Simple Expressions *Nested Expressions *Manipulating numbers Exercises Solutions References III Definitions and Properties of Functions: *Remarks *Definition and clearing of simple functions *Options and Defaults *Attributes of Functions *Downvalues and Upvalues *Functions that Remember Their Values *Functions in the x-Calculus *Repeated Application of Functions *Functions of Functions Exercises Solutions References IV Meta-Mathematica: *Remarks *Information on Commands *Control over Running Calculations and Resources *The $-Commands *Communication and Interaction with the Outside *Debugging *Localization of Variable Names *The Process of Calculation Exercises Solutions References V Replacement Rules and Related Matters: *Remarks *Boolean Functions *Patterns *Replacement Rules Exercises Solutions References VI Operations on List, and Linear Algebra: *Remarks *Creating Lists * Representation of Lists *Manipulating on Single Lists *Operations with Several Lists or with Nested Lists *Mathematical Operations with Matrices *Top-ten Built-in Commands Exercises Solutions References Index