On: NumWorks – An open source Graphing Calculator

[saagarjha]

It's not even in the same league without a CAS.

[dan-robertson → saagarjha]

If you want algebra, use a computer. I’m talking about doing calculations and I think it is hard to beat the efficiency when entering them into an HP–48-like device

[saagarjha → dan-robertson]

Σ(1/n^2,n,1,∞) is a calculation. That TI-89 evaluates it to π^2/6 makes it good at doing them.

[dan-robertson → saagarjha]

1. That’s not a calculation. It’s a special case you either need to know or have to be clever to compute. A calculation might be, say, compute zeta(2). But I don’t really want to argue about semantics.

2. This can evaluate this correctly on the (slightly later) HP-49G+

So given this new information, will you change your mind or try to find some other silly example?

[armanboyaci → dan-robertson]

Maybe did you mean it is not arithmetic?

[dan-robertson → armanboyaci]

Transcendental functions are not arithmetic, but they are also not algebra (in the CAS sense of the word)

[armanboyaci → dan-robertson]

According to wikipedia:

"arithmetic also includes more advanced operations, such as [...] exponentiation, logarithmic functions, and even trigonometric functions, in the same vein as logarithms (prosthaphaeresis)."

[snvzz → dan-robertson]

I own hp50g and TI-89, and I keep picking the latter. It is simply that much more slick.

When using hp50g, I find its input<>reaction latency makes me want to throw it at a wall. I used to tolerate it and rely on the input buffer, but that simply isn't good UX. I'm glad I grabbed a used TI-89 at some point.

Still keeping the hp50g for nostalgia reasons. Is what I used back at university; We went a long way together.