# mathematics software **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2003, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematics-software/208172 "2003-10-18T07:54:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![shaneomac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@shaneomac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shaneomac)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematics-software/208172/1 "2003-10-18T07:54:21Z")
I’m looking for some sort of mathematics software to do wondrous things like numerical integration and solving differential equations beyond what I’m limited too with my current software, that would be the spread sheet program from open office. I would prefer something that runs on linux and doesn’t cost much. I noticed that there are atleast a few people around here from the scientific community and I’m hoping that someone can point me in the direction of a good program. I would just go buy mathematica or one of the other similar programs but they are a bit spendy and I would prefer to hold on to that money. ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematics-software/208172/2 "2003-10-18T11:38:08Z")
See [Mathematics software for Linux](http://www.stllinux.org/meeting_notes/1997/0116/). I suggest you check out [MuPAD](http://www.mupad.de/index_uni.shtml); you may be eligible for a free license if you fit the criteria (e.g. private non-commerical use). However, even the commercial version is less expensive than comparable programs like Maple or Mathematica; see [MacKichan](http://www.mackichan.com). I gather that Wolfram Research’s [CalculationCenter](http://www.wolfram.com/products/calculationcenter/why/mathematica.html) is to be ported to Linux, but I don’t know when. (BTW, I review mathematics software for Scientific Computing World). ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematics-software/208172/3 "2003-10-18T11:51:53Z")
Forgot to mention: if you don’t mind non-Linux software, CalculationCenter and [Derive](http://www.derive.com) are both good value. ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematics-software/208172/4 "2003-10-18T12:52:53Z")
Second afterthought: I see from your resume that you’re a student. In that case you definitely qualify for the free MuPAD ([MuPAD 2.5 for Linux 2.x](http://www.mupad.de/personal.shtml)) and major student discounts on other packages. ---
**Author:** ![Skeptico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@Skeptico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeptico)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematics-software/208172/5 "2003-10-18T13:08:24Z")
[Comparison of mathematical programs for data analysis](http://www.steinhaus-net.de/science/ncrunch/) The survey above is fairly comprehensive and even includes MuPad. Since it was done 11 months ago, and it does not include Mathematica 5.0, the latest version, but it uses 4.2 instead. ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematics-software/208172/6 "2003-10-18T17:41:58Z")
Yep, things have changed a bit. Macsyma is pretty well defunct. Note also that the above link is for data analysis - i.e. largely statistics - not the symbolics and general mathematics that **shaneomac** wants. S-Plus is purely a stats package; Matlab is a more of programming language for manipulating matrix-based data, O-Matrix a clone of it, and Ox rather similar. The big names in the symbolics program market are Mathematica, CalculationCenter, Maple, Mathcad and MuPAD, with Derive and LiveMath as smaller players. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematics-software/208172/7 "2003-10-18T18:54:38Z")
This is a longshot, but if you have access to a university bookstore you may be able to get your hands on a Springer-Verlag Yellow Sale catalog. They _occasionally_ include special deals on mathematical software; I got a limited version of Maple through them for $60 a couple of years ago. For Maple, that’s a _steal_. (Of course, that doesn’t beat free MuPad, but I thought I’d mention it.)