I am a teacher of mathematics and i have a windows pc, but i want to do the next step. I want to buy an iMac. I want to learn how to write mathematical equations and how to do geometrical schema in my documents with iMac. Help me please!!! Thank you very

to elicit addition support from forum members, may i please ask the following question.

(1) On the windows pc how are your writting the mathematical equations and geometrical schemas

* this is more of a point in reference question

I quick search of the Mac App store revealed several math equation editors. Built in to Mac OS (at least in Mountain Lion, but I think it's been around for quite a while) is a program called Grapher.

There are also a ton of applications for teaching math in the App Store.

I can't speak to what the best one is, though. Math is still a 4-letter word to me! 😁

I asked for the post to be put into "MacOSX Technologies" sub-forum. After a while the posts get old and fall down the list. But if in the correct sub-forum they will sytay higher on that sub-forum list and be found for a longer period of time.

If you are serious about writing mathematics you will use TeX or LaTex. It's the tool used by virtually all mathematicians. You can find out about it easily via Google, for example:

http://guides.macrumors.com/Installing_LaTeX_on_a_Mac

If you are talking about doing mathematics, you should consider software such as Maple, Mathematica or Sage, all of which run on a Mac. The relevant websites are:

http://maplesoft.com

http://www.wolfram.com/mathematica/

http://www.sagemath.org

Good luck!

-charlie

CT wrote:

If you are serious about writing mathematics you will use TeX or LaTex. It's the tool used by virtually all mathematicians. You can find out about it easily via Google, for example:

Arg!!! Only computer science professors use LaTex. Who wants to learn a markup language with some horribly hard to use software just to write some equations. Back in the day, I just used Microsoft Word. Today, I would use some App Store program like the free Daum Equation Editor.

Evidently, you are not a mathematician.

I must concur with CT on this one. No matter what you think of TeX and LaTeX, they are used by serious mathematicians.

Allan

No. I am most certainly not a mathematician. Computer science professors are mathematicians. Anyone who wants to be a CS PhD had better learn LaTex.

For anyone else, I strongly recommend anything else. Even the Mountain Lion Grapher application can easily create nice equations:

Why on earth would I want to learn LaTeX if I didn't have some PhDs to impress?

Wrong.

What's wrong? That I am not a mathematician? Sorry, I'm not. That computer science professors are mathematicians? Granted, that is a pretty broad statement, but, in general, pretty accurate. Computer science professors are definitely not programmers. They are definitely very fond of LaTeX. Are you trying to say that someone who wants to be a CS PhD shouldn't learn LaTeX? I admire that sentiment, but I would advise against it. Someone who wants to easly create some nice-looking equations has many ways to do so, including Microsoft Word and any number of Mac App Store apps. Someone who needs to curry favour with their math or CS advisor needs to use LaTeX. I don't know what part of any of that anyone would consider "wrong".

Bonjour VAGRAI

1) To write math expressions in a text :

— Microsoft Office 2011 etc. for Mac use its included Equation Editor.

— OpenOffice.org (OOo) and NeoOffice : download free Dmath 3.3.

— iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote), download free MathType 6.7, fully functional for 30 days, then becomes « Lite » for life as good as the Microsoft equation editor ; it’s better than using Grapher’s equation editor (Applications > Utilities) because MathType can be called from Pages and allows editing equations by clicking the math expressions your text (details on MathType website) .

— Graph.app 2.3 in Mountain Lion is built to draw curves and surfaces from equations, so it uses an equation editor less powerful than mathType, but it’s easier typing expressions. You may get 2D 3D geometrical drawings from clever equations. Suggest a glance at http://y.barois.free.fr/grapher/ to know all about Grapher (83 pages Instructions for Use - Grapher) and some examples

2) Geometrical schema :

— GeoGebra is very popular and used by math teachers.

— Google SketchUp 8 was not built for mathematics but for architecture, but it’s very easy using it to draw 2D 3D surfaces and solid figures.

— ShapeOnYou.app allows simples geometrical figures http://pierre.chachatelier.fr/programmation/shapeonyou_en.php

3) Some useful websites for screen shots of geometrical schema :

http://www.mathcurve.com/

http://perso.orange.fr/roger.assouly/

Drawings files PDF, TIFF, JPG … can be inserted in an iWork window (Pages).

I hate LaTex : not necessary to write math books !

Au revoir VAGRAI,

YB24

Attachment : lines and curves were made with Google SketchUp 8, screen copied (Command-Shift-4), inserted on a Pages sheet to add letters figures rectangles title.

SketchUp allows drawing precisely an arc of circle 325 mm radius 22,5° angle for instance.