that's what calcs are for, right?
the only programs i write are math/science related.

Exactly. They have a lot of math potential (too bad TI only sees them as teaching tools)

-B. Kalafut

While it is true, TI's low end graphing calculators (Like the TI-73) are primarily educational in design, TI says about the TI-86:

All the power and functionality of the TI-85 with major new enhancements for college mathematics, engineering, and science.


This can also be said about the TI-89 the redesigned TI-92, a super set to the late TI-82 and now the TI-83 and TI-83+. Redesigned to meet academic needs.

I think, the 89 and 92+ are also supersets of the 85 and 86. The only calculator they are not supersets of is the 73 because it has Graph Explorer software and numberline.

You said, "I think, the 89 and 92+ are also supersets of the 85 and 86. "

TI says, "The TI-92 is not a superset of the TI-85."

For example, variable names and program names in the TI-82, TI-83, TI-83+, TI-92, TI-92+, TI-89 are NOT case sinsitive and they are case sinsitive in the TI-85 and TI-86. But for more than this TI says:

"The TI-85 has a differential equation graph mode, some extra linear algebra functions (eigenvalues,eigenvectors, LU decomposition, cond), and an interactive solver that are not included in the TI-92 software. However, most of these features can be added to the TI-92 through user defined functions and programs.

"The TI-92 in addition has symbolic manipulation features, interactive geometry, a text editor, and 3D graphing, a statistics editor, matrix editor, and a function evaluation table."

Hmm...the TI-89, at least, has eigenvector/eigenvalue functions (eigVc(), eigVl()) and LU decomposition (LU()). I don't think it has condition numbers, though. These are easy to add; the first thing you do is add the 1-norm by writing:

max(seq([sigma](abs(a[x,y]), x,1,colDim(a)),y,1,rowDim(a))) -> m1norm(a)

or the infinity-norm with:

max(seq([sigma](abs(a[x,y]), y,1,rowDim(a)),x,1,colDim(a))) -> minfnorm(a)

or the Frobinius <sp> norm with:

[sigma]([sigma](a[x,y]^2, x,1,colDim(a)),y,1,(rowDim(a)) -> mfnorm(a)

Substitute your favorite norm in the following expression for condition number:

m1norm(a)*m1norm(a^-1)->mcond(a)

I don't know about the solver, though.

Oops. Switch the "colDim" and "rowDim" in all those expressions. My bad.

True, the TI-92 is not a superset of the TI-85/ti-86 but the the TI-92+ is!

no 2+2=4, not 5!

I would like to know who said 2 + 2 = 120 ? 5! = 120

For that matter 1,000,000! = 8.28e5565708

Typo should have been 8.26e5565708

How did you find this out?

But if you're really serious about getting something done with math, you should use a computer program, like Mathematica. It offers at a lot more functionality and ease of use than a calculator can hope to. Calculators are useful primarily as teaching tools because they can be taken to the classroom.

It would be nice if Mathematica came at the price and portability of an 89 or HP 49.

It would also be nice if they had flying cars like in the Jetsons. :.)

But even 10-year-old versions of Mathematica are better and easier to use than the TI-89. I have an absolutely ancient version that I got for free that can do 15 times as much as a handheld calculator.

Preach it.

--BlueCalx

PS: Oh, and if you're going to ISO this weekend, I'll be the one wearing a giant blue red and yellow propeller beanie.

PPS: With a llama on the top.

Hey nifty! 100% are for yes (at 12 votes though.)
and i'm getting a front seat on the board for once. i think it'd be nice if we could get some articles on advanced calculating with our TI's. right now, its breakfast time so I am going to leave and come eat later.
ps; don't go to my site, its a total waste (untill I fix it a bit)
The one and only
Steve

I would not like to see more articles on the raw math, but on it's applications. SiCoDe has an applied trig in game making tutorial, and I would like to see some other things like that.

Yes, Yes, Yes! That is what I like!

Dito <:-)

Yeah, we should have tutorials that involve math, like a 3D tutorial! That would involve lots of math, but it would be neat to be able to make programs that display 3D graphics (I've always wanted to know how to do this).