May 31, 2000–CompuMat announces the introduction of their new interactive Mathematica-based text series, the first such courseware for use in the teaching of mathematics at Spanish-speaking universities. This powerful mathematics tool was initially developed as part of a federal government-supported project for the improvement of science teaching and is the result of a successful three-year pilot experience at Cuyo University in Argentina.

The interactive Mathematica-based text series addresses the introductory subjects of linear algebra, calculus in one or more variables, and differential and recurrence equations. Inspired in part by the innovative, award-winning Calculus&Mathematica series by Math Everywhere, the courseware enables students to experiment and explain the results of their experimentation “discovering and doing math.” Designed to teach students useful mathematics tools in an interesting and motivating way, it encourages active participation by students, as well as teachers, in a completely Spanish environment.

Using the flexible Mathematica interface and extensive program capabilities, students are able to do the following:

• Work with symbolic expressions
• Work with a great number of functions, with the precision indicated by the user (including infinite precision)
• Draw and animate in two and three dimensions, choosing point of view and coordinate system
• Program in any of three methods
  • Procedural programming (using blocks, loops and cycles, recursion)
  • Functional programming (the possibility to define pure functions, functional operators)
  • Rule-based programming (supplying rules that indicate how to operate or transform the symbolical expressions, functions, etc.)
• Create interactive documents, including text, graphics, sound, and animation
• Automatically translate text and graphics from Mathematica to PostScript or other format, permitting an interchange with other programs

Claudia Guzner, one of the courseware developers, expects it to gain wide acceptance in both state and private universities not only in Argentina but also in other Spanish-speaking countries. Says Guzner, “This product is the first of its kind to be created specifically for use in the mathematics education of Spanish students. The mere translation of other Mathematica courseware (like Math Everywhere) is inappropriate, due principally to deep differences between the Latin American and U.S. cultures.”

The Spanish series presents students with a strong, unified vision between mathematics and its applications, while at the same time developing the students’ problem-solving capabilities and providing them with indispensable tools for their future professional work. Furthermore, the adaptability and flexibility of the courseware make it well suited for use in both internet-based and long-distance learning courses.

The interactive Mathematica-based text series is currently available for Windows 95/98/NT/2000. The suggested retail price is $45 (U.S.); academic and site pricing is also available. To get further information or to order, please contact CompuMat directly.

Address
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo
Facultad de Ciencias Económicas
Dpto. de Disciplinas Matemáticas
CompuMat
Centro Universitario – Parque General San Martín
C.P. 5500 – Mendoza
Argentina

phone: +54-(0)261-423-6000, ext. 2485
fax: +54-(0)261-423-2779 (Attention: Dpto. de Disciplinas Matemáticas – CompuMat)
email: compumat@fcemail.uncu.edu.ar