Math 234 — Using your Computer.


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Exam policy on calculators. Students will not be allowed to use calculators (smart phones, other electronic equipment) on in-class quizzes and exams. These quizzes and exams will be designed keeping this limitation in mind.

On–line tools. Graphing calculators can be very useful, but if you don't have one then there are many on-line resources that provided at least the same and often better functionality.

No matter how useful these tools are, something is lost when you rely on them to answer a question rather than thinking it through yourself.

  • Google functions like a calculator (type “sqrt(2)-pi” into Google to see what happens). Google also graphs functions. To see the graph of a few functions just type them into Google (try it: type “y=sin(x^2),x^2” into Google.)
  • The Desmos Graphing Calculator also draws nice graphs, and lets you do more than the Google graphing tool.
  • On a Mac you will find a graphing calculator (grapher.app) in the Utilities folder, within the Applications folder.
  • Windows does not come with a graphing calculator, but there is a free graphing calculator that can do 3D graphs. You can find it here.
  • Wolfram Alpha can do a huge number of calculus computations. The answers are not always in simplest form, and even this site will not always get things completely right (e.g.this)

The machine has got to be accepted, but it is probably better to accept it rather as one accepts a drug — that is, grudgingly and suspiciously. Like a drug, the machine is useful, dangerous, and habit-forming. The oftener one surrenders to it the tighter its grip becomes. –George Orwell, novelist (1903–1950)