For a full GUI-mode session -- windows, menus, mouse, online documentation, etc. -- use the command xmaple instead. Online documentation for Maple is then available from the Help menu.
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Waterloo Maple, Inc. Last change: 2000-Jan-5
NAME
maple - Interactive computer algebra system
SYNOPSIS
maple [-a] [-A assertLevel] [-b libname] [-c mapleCommand]
[-D macroDef] [-e errorBreak] [-F] [-g gcInterval] [-I
includePath] [-i initFile] [-km kernelmode] [-L logFile] [-l
latexOption] [-P] [-q] [-s] [-T resourceLimit] [-t] [-U
macroName] [-w warnLevel] [-x] [-z file]
DESCRIPTION
Maple has the ability to algebraically manipulate unbounded
integers, exact rational numbers, real numbers with arbi-
trary precision, symbolic formulae, polynomials, sets,
lists, equations, arrays, vectors, and matrices. It can
solve systems of equations and differentiate and integrate
expressions.
In the following example from a Maple session, Maple's out-
put is shown to the right of the input expressions.
p := x^2-x-2;
2
p := x - x - 2
q := (x+1)^2;
2
s := p/q;
2
x - x - 2
s := ------------
2
diff(s,x); # Differentiate with respect to x.
2
2 x - 1 x - x - 2
---------- - 2 ------------
2 3
normal(s);
x - 2
-------
x + 1
x := 3^50;
x := 717897987691852588770249
s; # Re-evaluate s with a value substituted for x.
717897987691852588770247
--------------------------
717897987691852588770250
evalf[40](s); # Re-evaluate to a 40=digit floating-point approximation.
.9999999999999999999999958211332927043849
quit;
The command maple actually invokes a script which parses
various command line options, sets appropriate environment
variables, and then starts the Maple kernel (and possibly a
separate user interface). The command xmaple invokes maple
with the -x option (see below).
OPTIONS
-a The -a (assertion) option tells Maple to check all
assertions. This is equivalent to specifying
kernelopts(assertlevel=1) at the beginning of the ses-
sion.
-A The -A (Assertion level) option sets the degree of
assertion checking. The -A option must be followed by
the integer 0, 1, or 2. This is equivalent to specify-
ing kernelopts(assertlevel=N) at the beginning of the
session.
-b The -b (library) option tells Maple that the following
argument should be used as the pathname of the direc-
tory which contains the Maple library. This initializes
the Maple variable 'libname'. By default, 'libname' is
initialized with the pathname /usr/local/maple/lib.
Some sites may customize the maple shell script to
redefine the library pathname. For example,
maple -b /usr/public/waterloo/maple/lib $*
More than one -b option can be specified. In this case,
the first -b option overrides the default 'libname'
setting, and subsequent -b options are appended to
'libname', forming a Maple expression sequence of
directory names.
-c The -c (execute command) option specifies a command
that Maple is to execute on startup. The command can be
any valid Maple command, but may not contain any blank
characters. Multiple -c options may be specified. Com-
mands specified by -c options, and files specified by
-i options, are executed in the order in which they
were specified, after the initialization files have
been read.
-D The -D (Define) option is used to predefine a macro for
Maple's preprocessor. The -D option can be followed by
either a symbol, or a symbol, equal sign, and the
definition of the symbol. Multiple -D options can be
used to define multiple symbols.
-e The -e (break on error) option tells Maple what to do
when an error is encountered while reading a file. -e0
tells Maple to to report the error and keep reading the
file. -e1 (the default) tells Maple to stop reading the
file (and to skip to the end) when a syntax error is
encountered. -e2 tells Maple to stop reading and to
skip to the end when any type of error is encountered.
This behavior can also be changed from within Maple by
using the command interface(errorbreak=n) where n is 0,
1, or 2.
-F The -F (no filter) option prevents Maple from exiting
when the standard input has been redirected from a
file, and the end of the file is encountered. By
default, Maple will exit. If -F is specified, Maple
will instead continue interactively at that point.
-g The -g (garbage collection interval) option tells Maple
at what interval (in terms of number of words of
storage allocated) to perform garbage collection. The
default on most UNIX platforms is every 250,000 words.
This setting can also be changed from within Maple by
using the command kernelopts(gcfreq=n), where n is the
interval you want.
-I The -I (Include) option specifies directories to be
searched for files specified in $include directives.
Multiple directories can be searched, separated by com-
mas. Alternatively, multiple B-I options can be used to
specify multiple directories.
-i The -i (initialization file) option specifies addi-
tional files to be read after the standard Maple ini-
tialization files. Multiple -i options may be speci-
fied. Files specified by -i options, and commands
specified by -c options, are executed in the order in
which they were specified, after the normal initializa-
tion files have been read.
-km The -km p (parallel kernel mode) option, which applies
only to the graphical interface versions of Maple, is
used to start Maple in the parallel server kernel mode.
The parallel server mode enables each worksheet within
a given Maple session to be independent of other
worksheets.
The -km s (single kernel mode) option, which applies
only to graphical interface version of Maple, is used
to start Maple in the single server kernel mode. By
default, all worksheets during a given session share
the same mathematical information. For example, if you
assign a value to a variable in one worksheet, all
other worksheets in the current session will be
affected by this new definition.
-L The -L (Log file) option is used to create a log of all
the library modules that are loaded during the course
of a Maple session. This is useful if you have
developed a library of Maple routines, and want to
determine which ones are actually used. As each object
is loaded, its name is recorded in the specified log
file. This file is not closed until the Maple session
exits.
-l The -l (latex) option causes Maple to run in LaTeX
filter mode. This is useful in the production of books
using (or about) Maple. The -l options is specified by
a sub-option specific to LaTeX filter mode. Multiple -l
options can be used to introduce multiple sub-options.
-P The -P (Parse only) option causes Maple to read input,
but not evaluate any expressions. This can be used to
quickly check a file of Maple commands for syntax
errors, and should be used in conjunction with -e0 so
that Maple will not stop when an error is encountered.
It is also useful in conjuction with Maple's preproces-
sor to preview all the preprocessing operations without
actually executing anything.
-q The -q (quiet) option will suppress the printing of
Maple's startup message, various informational messages
(bytes used messages and garbage collection messages),
and the signoff message. Maple is better suited for
use as a filter when these messages are suppressed.
-s The -s (suppress initialization) option causes Maple to
forgo reading any initialization file when initiating a
session.
If there is a system-wide Maple initialization file
with the name init under the src subdirectory of the
Maple library, then this file is read and the Maple
statements in it are executed before the session
starts. If a Maple initialization file named .mapleinit
exists in the user's home directory, this file is read
next.
-T The -T (Test limit) option is used to limit the amount
of system resources that Maple can consume before exe-
cution is terminated. This option takes four parame-
ters, separated by commas. The CPU time limit parame-
ter specifies the maximum number of seconds of CPU time
that the Maple process is to use. The data limit res-
tricts the amount of memory, in kBytes, that Maple can
use. The stack limit sets the maximum stack size, in
kBytes. The core dump limit specifies the maximum size
of core file that can be produced in the unlikely event
of a core dump. You can specify any prefix of the four
parameters, and omit the rest (for example, specify
just the CPU and data limits).
-t The -t (test mode) option causes Maple to change its
configuration to one suitable for running the Maple
test suite. Specifically, the prompt is changed to
"#-->", prettyprinting is disabled, and all but the
last "bytes used" messages are suppressed. The final
"bytes used" message is printed to stderr. This is not
normally needed by Maple users.
-U The -U (Undefine) option is used to undefine a Maple
preprocessor macro that was defined earlier on the com-
mand line by a -D option. The -U option must be fol-
lowed by the symbol to undefine. Multiple -U options
can be used to undefine multiple symbols.
-w The -w (warning level) option specifies whether maple
should print certain warnings. -w0 suppresses all
warnings. -w1 allows only warnings generated by the
library to be printed (for example, "new definition for
...", as generated by the "with" function). -w2 allows
warnings generated by the library or the kernel (for
example, "... is implicitly declared local"). -w3
allows warnings generated by the library, the kernel,
or the parser (for example, "... unterminated string
constant..."). -w4 allows all of the above, and also
warnings about things that are different from the pre-
vious release (for example, "... is a lexically scoped
parameter). The default setting is -w3.
-x The -x (X interface) option causes Maple to run with an
X Window user interface (see the "WINDOWS SYSTEMS" sec-
tion).
-z The -z option disables some Maple features, such as
read, save, mkdir, currentdir, rmdir, march, system,
writeto, appendto, and any file I/O operations such as
fopen and fprint. This makes it a bit safer to use
Maple in a server mode (for example, behind a simple
Web form to solve some limited class of problem).
However, Waterloo Maple does not guarantee that the
-zFR option will prevent users from compromising your
system through Maple input. Furthermore, your Maple
license may also prevent you from using Maple in this
way (making it publicly available).
WINDOW SYSTEMS
If you are running Maple V under a windowing system, there
may be a user interface specific to that system. For exam-
ple, X Window users (this includes Motif and OpenLook users)
can run Maple by using the xmaple command.
In addition to the Maple options described above, options
specific to window systems can also be used. For example,
the option -bg red tells the X version of Maple to use red
as the background color.
SEE ALSO
The mint and updtsrc commands.
ENVIRONMENT
Maple uses several system environment variables. These are
generally set by the maple script, so the user need not
worry about them.
The MAPLE variable specifies where to find the Maple
library, the Maple share library, the help browser index,
and various configuration files. If the MAPLE variable is
undefined, Maple uses "/usr/local/maple" as the default.
The HOME variable is used to identify where the user's
.mapleinit file is located.
The PATH variable is used to locate auxiliary programs, such
as the plot driver.
FILES
$MAPLE/lib - Maple library (where the setting of the
environment variable MAPLE is subject to change at each ins-
tallation).
$MAPLE/lib/src/init - system wide initialization file (where
the setting of the environment variable MAPLE is subject to
change at each installation).
$HOME/.mapleinit - user's own Maple initialization file.
$MAPLE/afm/* - Adobe Font Metric files used by Maple's
PostScript(tm) plot driver.
$XAPPLRESDIR/Maple6 - the resource file used by the X Window
System Maple interface.
$XAPPLRESDIR/Maple2dX11m - the resource file used by the X
Window System two-dimensional plotting interface.
$XAPPLRESDIR/Maple3dX11m - the resource file used by the X
Window System three-dimensional plotting interface.
FOR HELP
If you have a question that you think is of a very specific
nature and not of interest to others, you may send a mail
message to your site license technical administrator (if
your site has a site license). The technical administrator
for your site is:
trouble@babbage.colorado.edu
If your site does not have a site license, send your techni-
cal queries to:
support@maplesoft.com
An e-mail discussion group, the Maple User's Group (MUG), is
available for sharing of information among Maple users. To
join the Maple User's Group, send an e-mail to
"majordomo@daisy.uwaterloo.ca", containing the text "sub-
scribe maple-list". To contribute to the group, e-mail to
"maple-list@daisy.uwaterloo.ca".