| Q. I have downloaded mathmate.zip with the trial version of Math•Mate Java Edition from the Numerical Objects' web site. What do I need to run it? | ||||||||||||
| A. You need to have Java Development Kit (JDK) or Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.1.4 or later. | ||||||||||||
| Q. I have Netscape and it contains Java. Is it possible to run MathMate trial version? | ||||||||||||
| A. Unfortunately not. MathMate is an application, not an applet, so you need to have JDK or JRE installed. | ||||||||||||
| Q. Where do I get JDK or JRE? | ||||||||||||
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A. JDK or JRE is downloadable for free from the
following locations.
For a more complete list please visit http://java.sun.com/cgi-bin/java-ports.cgi You can also use 1.2 version of Java SDK (for instance, Java 2 Standard Edition). |
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| Q. What platforms was Math•Mate tested on? | ||||||||||||
| A. We have tested Math•Mate Java Edition on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, OS/2 4.0 . Besides that Math•Mate has been successfully tested on AIX, HP-UX, Solaris and IBM Network Station at IBM Solution Studios for Java. We have NOT tested on Windows 2000, Linux, IRIX and MacOS yet but plan to do it in the near future. If you run Math•Mate on any other system not mentioned here, we would be interested in your comments. Please send them to contact@numobjects.com | ||||||||||||
| Q. How do I install Math•Mate? | ||||||||||||
| A. On most systems, just unzip the file mathmate.zip into a separate directory. Use one of the provided scripts (mathmate.* or mmjre.*) to run MathMate. | ||||||||||||
| Q. When I start Math•Mate trial version, a window appears and then disappears with the message "Could not connect to server". What is the problem? | ||||||||||||
| A. The trial version is a client-server application. What you download is the client portion. It needs to talk to the server, so you need to be connected to the Internet. Make sure that you are on the Internet. If you are behind a firewall, you might not be able to connect. Try it from home. | ||||||||||||
| Q. Ok, now I am connected. What then? | ||||||||||||
| A. First, wait until Math•Mate displays the message "Ready". It needs time to connect to the server. This time depends on your connection speed. | ||||||||||||
| Q. Ok, I see the message "Ready". How do I start now? | ||||||||||||
| A. You start by entering expressions into the expression
entry field. Use keyboard or on-screen keypads. After you enter the expression,
you should see a list of parameters displayed in the parameter list. You
would need to initialize their values and press "Start". You will see a result displayed (or an error message). Please have patience if your Internet connection is slow. |
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| Q. I enter "y=sin(x)" in the expression field and get "x" and "y" displayed in the parameter list. How then am I supposed to solve equations? | ||||||||||||
| A. We encourage you to read Help. It covers extensively MathMate's operation in each mode and provides examples. Here is the explanation: first, you do not need to enter "y=" in the expression. Enter just "sin(x)". Second, be sure to mark "x" as variable (see below). Third, enter limits for the interval, on which you want equation to be solved. MathMate will look for a root in your expression. For instance, to solve sin(x) = 1/2, enter "sin(x)-1/2" in MathMate. Finally, here is an explanation what "y=sin(x)" means to MathMate: the sign "=" is a logical operation "is equal to", so you are effectively asking whether a parameter "y" is equal to the expression "sin(x)". | ||||||||||||
| Q. You advise to read Help, but when I choose "Help" from the menu, nothing happens. Am I supposed to read Help with my browser? | ||||||||||||
| A. You can read Help with your browser (start from the "mmhelp.htm" file in the help subdirectory) but you can also launch the browser automatically from the Help menu. You need to set it up once. To do so, choose the menu item "Settings/Browser path" to tell MathMate where to look for the browser. Save your settings afterwards. If the path is correct, Help will be launched automatically in the future. | ||||||||||||
| Q. How do I enter limits for integrals, sums, plots, etc? | ||||||||||||
| A. To the left of the expression entry field there is the mode icon. Below this icon is the field for the lower limit, above it is the field for the upper limit. These fields are not displayed in the Calculator mode. If you leave these fields blank, MathMate treats them as value 0. In this case result of any operation might be zero. | ||||||||||||
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Q. I would like to plot a graph of, say, sin(x), but get a straight line displayed. Why? |
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| A. You need to mark x as variable in the parameter list. To do so, click on the field containing the "=" sign or press Alt-V when the value field against "x" has input focus. Then press "Start" again. | ||||||||||||
| Q. How do I find out what means what on the on-screen keypads? | ||||||||||||
| A. Until you get familiar with the keypads you can use hints. Select the "Show hints" item in the "Settings" menu. The function and constant full names will be displayed as you move your mouse from button to button. | ||||||||||||
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Q. I am using the program on Windows 95. Why does the main screen look green and gray? |
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| A. There is some problem with the Java Runtime on Windows 95 if your display has only 256 colors. Increasing the number of colors solves the problem. The functionality is not affected. |