Mathematica-Powered Software Is Textbook and Homework Problem-Solver Too
Calculus WIZ is no longer available for sale. Mathematica for Students can solve all your calculus problems and more.
August 1, 2000–Wolfram Research announced today the release of a stand-alone version of Calculus WIZ, a revolutionary computer-based study aid for first-year calculus students. Easy to use and packed with mathematical knowledge, Calculus WIZ sets a new standard for intelligent educational software. Students can use Calculus WIZ to solve homework problems simply by clicking a computer button and filling in information in the appropriate dialog box.
More than a simple electronic textbook, Calculus WIZ can actually solve a huge assortment of first-year calculus problems, printing the answers step by step. It gets this unmatched math power from a customized version of Mathematica, Wolfram Research’s powerful technical computing system, but assumes no prior Mathematica experience. Wolfram Research will also continue to offer Calculus WIZ as an add-on package to those who already own Mathematica or Mathematica for Students.
Suppose a calculus student is assigned a problem needing indefinite integration using trigonometric substitution. The student can choose to go directly to a “solver” for problems like these. In the solver, the student needs only to enter the particular problem and click a button. Calculus WIZ, drawing on its built-in calculus knowledge, will solve the problem and paste detailed results into a homework document, ready for printing.
For more help, the student can look up “trigonometric substitution” in the comprehensive Calculus WIZ index. Hyperlinked entries then take the student to an online tutorial discussing the topic, to another section discussing an underlying topic (in this case, integration by substitution), or to a series of solved examples.
The primary developer of Calculus WIZ is Keith Stroyan, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Iowa. Professor Stroyan has been an active creator of computer materials for mathematics courses and has written six undergraduate-level texts that use computing with geometry, linear algebra, and calculus. He is currently writing Interactive Multivariable Calculus, a new text and related Mathematica-based courseware, to be published by Academic Press.
The stand-alone edition of Calculus WIZ is available for Windows 95/98/NT/2000. It requires 160 MB of disk space for hard-disk installation.