Algebrator

Algebrator

Developer(s)	Softmath
Initial release	1999
Written in	C++
Platform	Cross-platform
Available in	English.
Type	Computer algebra system, Educational software, Math software
License	Proprietary
Website	Softmath homepage

Algebrator (produced by Softmath) is a computer algebra system (CAS), which was developed in the late 1990s by Neven Jurkovic of Softmath, San Antonio, Texas. This is a CAS specifically geared towards algebra education. Beside the computation results, it shows step-by-step solution process and context sensitive explanations.

Basic Features

Algebrator can solve user-entered problems in the following areas of Algebra (ranging from Prealgebra to College Algebra):

Wizard interface Features

Algebrator provides a wizard interface so that problems that are not readily available in the form of an equation or expression can be entered into the system.

Here is the list of available wizard interface categories (in Algebrator 4.2):

Lines

• Midpoint of a line joining two points
• Distance between two points
• Slope of the line joining two points
• Line equation - two points
• Point-slope line equation
• x-intercept of a line
• y-intercept of a line
• Find the slope of a line
• Determine if a line is horizontal
• Determine if a line is vertical
• Determine if two lines are parallel
• Determine if two lines are perpendicular
• Parallel line passing through a point
• Perpendicular line passing through a point
• Evaluate a linear equation

Parabolas

• Equation of parabola using vertex and focus
• Equation of parabola using vertex and directrix
• Equation of parabola using focus and directrix
• Equation of a parabola using its vertex and a point
• Equation of a parabola passing through three points
• Vertex of a parabola
• Focus of a parabola
• Axis of symmetry of a parabola
• Directrix of a parabola
• x-intercepts of a parabola
• y-intercepts of a parabola
• Determine if a parabola opens up, down, left or right

Circles

• Equation of circle using center and radius
• Equation of circle using center and radius
• Equation of circle using center and point on circle
• Equation of circle using end points of diameter
• Equation of a circle passing through 3 points
• Radius of a circle
• Center of a circle

Ellipses

• Equation of an ellipse using its foci and a point on the ellipse
• Equation of an ellipse using the end points of the major axis and the length of minor axis
• Equation of an ellipse using the end points of the minor axis and the length of major axis
• Equation of an ellipse using the axes lengths and its center

See also

• Comparison of computer algebra systems

Literature

• Neven Jurkovic, Diagnosing and correcting student's misconceptions in an educational computer algebra system, Proceedings of the 2001 international symposium on Symbolic and algebraic computation, July. 2000, p.195-200

External links

• Official website
• Algebrator at Twitter