Mathematica

Installation and [Re]Activation

If you haven't used Mathematica before:

Go to the GCC registration/installation link which I should have posted on the main myGCC page for this class (I can't post it publicly here).
Click on the "Create one" link next to "Don't have a Wolfram ID?"
Fill in the information requested there. You must use your GCC email address. I would suggest using a new, non-GCC password.
After you create the account you may need to verify it using the email that will be sent to you.
Once the account is verified click on the registration/installation link again. Sign in if needed.
Fill in the requested form. For your "Anticipated graduation" I would suggest adding an extra year - I don't know if it really matters since you have to reactivate the software every year anyway, but it doesn't hurt just in case. You may include your anticipated major department or just say Mathematics.
After you click "Submit", Wolfram will send an activation key to your email address and/or display it on the next page, if it comes via email it may take a few minutes. Note: the activation key is unique for each person and each time you get a new version. Copy the activation key if you haven't gotten an email with it yet.
Go to "Products & Services" at the top of the page and then the link for "User Portal."
Select your product (the download manager version is usually the easiest). Download, open and install Mathematica. The program is rather large, so it will take several minutes to download the files.
When you run Mathematica for the first time it will ask for the activation key from earlier. (If the email didn't come through it will also show up in the Wolfram User Portak near the download links.)After you paste in the key and activate
After activating you will also have to agree to the user's licensing agreement to use the software.
At this point a new window will open up with several options. Choose the new notebook option. You can also choose to default to a new notebook instead of the welcome window when Mathematica starts.

If the program fails to either install or activate properly let me know and we can troubleshoot it together.

Re-activation if you have used Mathematica before:

Sign in to https://account.wolfram.com/ with your previously created account information (it should be associated with your GCC email address).
Once you log in there may be a tab called "My Products and Services," under which you'll find your activation key (or an updated one). If it doesn't or if it says you have no products, paste the link from myGCC into your browser and hit enter - since you're already signed in it should now take you to a correct page with a new activation key. (If that still doesn't work come see me.)

Getting Started with Mathematica

Here are introductory videos I recorded to walk you through some of the basics of using Mathematica:

Here are some more introductory materials from other sources:

A brief introduction to Mathematica by Mark McClure at UNC Asheville.
Introduction to Mathematica by Daniel A. Graham at Duke University.
Getting Started With Mathematica videos from Wolfram:

Mathematica Errors Checklist. Things to look for when troubleshooting your file.

General Guidelines

You may work in pairs if you wish (with some exceptions: the first assignment in MATH 161 and all assignments in 263 are individual assignments). Both people must contribute to and understand your answers to every problem! I will give significant help on problems only if both group members are present. Only one person in the pair should submit the assignment in myGCC.
Sharing code or copying any code from sources other than myself and the Mathematica documentation is considered cheating and will result in a minimum penalty of a score of 0 on the assignment for all parties involved. This includes copying from old solutions, other students' assignments (whether current or past), or from the solution manual.
You must do all of the work in Mathematica and use Mathematica to do all calculations.
If the problem asks you explain results or give some sort of comment on what you're doing, then I expect you to type that up in your solutions as well. You should use a text cell for typing any explanations or clarifying comments - do not put comments in the input cell! (i.e., do not use (* *) for comments.)
You must use commands and functions which apply to the equations as given in the problem. For instance, if you need to graph x²+y³=3, I expect you to use the ContourPlot command to plot the equation implicitly rather than solve for y and use the regular Plot command.
Define functions and use built-in commands whenever possible. For example, if you were asked to find the derivative of f(x)=x²-x at x=2, you should define a function f[x_]:=x²+x and then evaluate the derivative using f'[2] rather than just having Mathematica compute 2*2-1.
Do not put too many commands in one input environment. As a general rule, only closely related commands should be in the same input environment. For instance, if you were creating several plots which then get put together and displayed using Show it would be acceptable to have all of those commands in one input cell.
Do not suppress or hide output (by using ; at the end of the line) unless you have a good reason to do so. (For instance, it would be okay to hide individual plots if you were creating several plots which then get put together and displayed using Show.) As a general rule, if you needed to see that output to do the problem initially then you should proably let it show up in your final submitted file.
If you're getting results that you know are incorrect but can't figure out how to fix them, then make a note of that in your file. If your code won't execute, causes the kernel to crash, or gives a yellow/red 'plus box' in the output, then comment out that part of the code (this is when you should be using (* *)) and explain why you had to comment it out. You may get more partial credit if I know that you know there's a problem.

Formatting Guidelines

Here is a zipped .nb file that states and illustrates the formatting guidelines: Mathematica Formatting Guidelines.

This video goes demonstrates the formatting style shown in the file and illustrates some of the things mentioned in the general comments above: Mathematica Formatting and General Comments.

Submission Guidelines

Assignments must be submitted via myGCC (under "Coursework" for this class) by the due date and time listed on the assignment; most assignments will have some sort of penalized late window, details will be in each assignment. If myGCC isn't working and I haven't given other alternate instructions then you may e-mail your assignment.
Upload the *.nb file containing your work with the output removed (Cell→Delete All Output, then Save). Your file must be named using the following conventions:

For individual submissions:

<Last name>, <First name> Mathematica <Assignment number>.nb

For joint submissions (when allowed):

<Last name 1>, <First name1> and <Last name 2>, <First name 2> Mathematica <Assignment number>.nb

(You may replace spaces with underscores if you so desire.)

For example, if I were submitting assignment 2, my file name would be

Bancroft, Eric Mathematica 1.nb

If my wife and I were submitting assignment 2, our file name would be

Bancroft, Eric and Bancroft, Erin Mathematica 2.nb

Help with Specific Commands or Processes

Using Part (i.e., double brackets [[ ]]) and Solve / NSolve
Working with Tables
Creating Rectangles and Cuboids
Implementing Newton's Method in Mathematica: Video 1, Video 2,Video 3.