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Maxima - Common Lisp version of MACSYMA symbolic mathematics package released under the GNU Public
Contents
Bugs
Maxima is a complex system. It includes both known and unknown bugs. Use at your own risk. The Maxima
bug database is available at
https://sourceforge.net/p/maxima/bugs/
New bug reports are always appreciated. Please include the output of the Maxima function "build_info()"
with the report.
Built-In Help
The reference manual can be accessed from the Maxima input prompt. A description of a given command can
be obtained by typing the command
describe(command);
or, simply,
?command
The command
??command
searches the list of functions for the string command and prints matching functions.
Demonstration files provide complete examples of problems solved with Maxima, and may be accessed with
the command demo(command);. A library of user-contributed command files is also provided (the sharelibrary), directed toward a variety of problems.
Command Primer
This list includes only commands which the beginner might find useful to know about prior to studying the
reference manual and other texts.
batch("myfile");
Execute the contents of file myfile, which is assumed to contain Maxima commands.
closefile("myfile");
Close session file opened by a writefile command (see below).
demo("myfile");
Execute the contents of file myfile, which is assumed to contain Maxima commands, one line at a
time.
ev(infolists);
Print the contents of all of the available information lists.
functions;
Print a list of the names of currently defined functions.
infolists;
Print a list of the various available information lists.
kill(objectlist);
Eliminate the object(s) contained within parentheses; kill(all) Delete all objects created by the
user, restoring Maxima to its initial state.
quit();
Leave Maxima.
reset();
Reset all Maxima control parameters to their default states.
values;
Print a list of the names of currently assigned scalar values.
writefile("myfile");
Write record of session to file myfile; only one file at a time can be open, and the closefile
command must be invoked prior to leaving Maxima to flush the buffer.
Customization Files
maximarcmaximarc is sourced by the maxima script at startup. It should be located in $MAXIMA_USERDIR (see
above). maximarc can be used, e.g., to change the user's default lisp implementation choice to
CMUCL by including the line "MAXIMA_LISP=cmucl".
maxima-init.lisp
At startup, Maxima will load the lisp file maxima-init.lisp if it is found in the search path. For
user customization, maxima-init.lisp should be placed in the $MAXIMA_USERDIR (see above). Since
Maxima typically has a system maxima-init.lisp in the Maxima share directory, the user may want to
copy the contents of the system maxima-init.lisp into his/her custom file. Alternatively, the
user can load a Lisp initialization file with another name or location by means of the --init-lisp
or --init command-line options.
maxima-init.mac
At startup, Maxima will load the file maxima-init.mac if it is found in the search path. For user
customization, maxima-init.mac should be placed in the $MAXIMA_USERDIR (see above).
Alternatively, the user can load a Maxima initialization file with another name or location by
means of the --init-mac or --init command-line options.
~/.xmaximarc
Here Xmaxima stores personal settings.
~/.xmaxima_history
Here Xmaxima stores the command history.
Description
Maxima is a version of the MIT-developed MACSYMA system, modified to run under Common Lisp. It is an
interactive expert system and programming environment for symbolic and numerical mathematical
manipulation. Written in Lisp, it allows differentiation, integration, solution of linear or polynomial
equations, factoring of polynomials, expansion of functions in Laurent or Taylor series, computation of
Poisson series, matrix and tensor manipulations, and two- and three-dimensional graphics. Procedures may
be written using an ALGOL-like syntax, and both Lisp-like functions and pattern matching facilities are
provided. Files containing Maxima objects may be read from and written to disk files. Pre-written Maxima
commands may be read from a file and executed, allowing batch-mode use.
Environment Variables
MAXIMA_USERDIR
Points to a directory for user customization files. Maxima's default search paths include
MAXIMA_USERDIR. Default value: $HOME/.maxima.
MAXIMA_PREFIX
Maxima looks for its input files in the directory configured at compile time, /usr. Maxima can be
relocated to a different directory as long as the maxima script maintains the same relative
position with respect to the Maxima input files. If, for some reason, the maxima script needs to
be relocated independently, MAXIMA_PREFIX needs to be set to point to the top of the tree holding
the input files.
MAXIMA_DIRECTORYMAXIMA_DIRECTORY is equivalent to MAXIMA_PREFIX. It is included only for backward compatibility
with older versions of Maxima.
Maxima uses several other environment variables for communication between the maxima script and the lisp
image. All such variables start with MAXIMA_. They should not need to be modified by the user.
Example
(%i1) diff(sin(x),x);
(%o1) cos(x)
(%i2) integrate(%o1,x);
(%o2) sin(x)
The user types in commands which create Maximaobjects (such as functions and system variables) and which
manipulate these objects.
On UNIX it may be preferable to run Maxima under Gnu Emacs or XEmacs. You can do this by invoking shell
mode in emacs, and then invoking maxima. Preferably, install maxima.el from the distribution and use the
command:
M-xmaxima
The main advantage of working inside emacs is that it provides a complete history of input/output. If
you execute the command
display2d:false
you will be able to use your output as input, by simply killing and yanking.
Lisp is built into Maxima. The function to_lisp() enters the Lisp read-eval-print loop. The Lisp
function (run) may be used to return to Maxima. Alternatively, single Lisp commands may be invoked by
starting a command line with :lisp.
Files
/usr/lib/maxima/5.47.0/binary-lisp
Compiled files for lisp implementation lisp/usr/info primary documentation directory, containing info files which are used for the 'describe'
command, and also for viewing under emacs or other info viewer.
/usr/share/maxima/5.47.0/doc/html
HTML version of info documentation.
/usr/share/maxima/5.47.0/demo
Maxima demo files.
/usr/share/maxima/5.47.0/emacs
Elisp files for use with Emacs or XEmacs.
/usr/share/maxima/5.47.0/share
Contributed external packages.
/usr/share/maxima/5.47.0/doc/share
Documentation for contributed external packages.
/usr/share/maxima/5.47.0/src
Complete Maxima source.
/usr/share/maxima/5.47.0/tests
Test suite.
/usr/share/maxima/5.47.0/xmaxima
Xmaxima support files.
/usr/libexec/maxima/5.47.0/
Maxima utility scripts.
Introductory Instructions
Upon initialization, maxima prints a startup message, then a command line prompt:
(%i1)
All Maxima commands must be concluded with either:
1) a semicolon (in which case the result of the command is echoed on a display line, prefaced by %o
with an appended sequence number), or
2) a dollar sign (which suppresses printing of a display line).
Name
Maxima - Common Lisp version of MACSYMA symbolic mathematics package released under the GNU Public
License
rmaxima - A version of Maxima that supports command autocompletion
Xmaxima - A graphical version of Maxima
Options
-bfile, --batch=file
Process file in noninteractive mode.
--batch-lisp=file
Process Lisp file file in noninteractive mode.
--batch-string=string
Process string in noninteractive mode.
-d, --directories
Display Maxima directory information.
--disable-readline
Disable readline support.
-g, --enable-lisp-debugger
Enable Lisp debugger.
-h, --help
Display a brief usage summary.
--init=string
Load the Maxima and Lisp initialization files string.mac and string.lisp at startup.
--init-mac=file
Load the Maxima initialization file file at startup.
--init-lisp=file
Load the Lisp initialization file file at startup.
-llisp, --lisp=lisp
Use Lisp implementation lisp. Use --list-avail to see the list of possible values.
--list-avail
List the available Lisp and Maxima versions.
-plisp_file, --preload-lisp=lisp_file
Preload lisp_file.
-q, --quiet
Suppress Maxima start-up message.
-rstring, --run-string=string
Process string in interactive mode.
-sport, --server=port
Connect Maxima to server on port. Note that this does not create a Maxima server; Maxima is the
client.
-uversion, --use-version=version
Launch Maxima version version. Use --list-avail to see the list of possible values.
--userdir=directory
Use directory for user directory (default is %USERPROFILE%/maxima for Windows, $HOME/.maxima for
others)
-v, --verbose
Print extra information from the Maxima wrapper script.
--version
Print the (default) installed version.
--very-quiet
Suppress expression labels and the Maxima start-up message.
-XLispoptions, --lisp-options=Lispoptions
Options to be given to the underlying Lisp.
--no-init, --norc
Do not load the init file(s) on startup.
Other Documentation
The reference manual is provided in both info and html formats.
Plotting Commands
Maxima is capable of producing 2- and 3-dimensional plots. Here is a simple 2-dimensional example
plot2d(sin(x),[x,-2*%pi,2*%pi]);
and a simple 3-dimensional example
plot3d(2^(-u^2+v^2),[u,-5,5],[v,-7,7]);
By default plots are made by the gnuplot plotting package. Plots can be made by other means; see "?
plot_options". For more information about plotting, see "? plot".
References
Old Reference: MACSYMAReferenceManual (volumes 1 and 2). The Mathlab Group, Laboratory for Computer
Science, MIT. Version 10. January 1983.
Newer references: https://maxima.sourceforge.ioSee Also
wxmaxima(1) 2022-07-18 MAXIMA(1)
Synopsis
maxima [options]
rmaxima [options]
xmaxima [options]
PNG Icons
