Quick Start Guide      Fundamentals

Quick Start Guide

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Note that this exact guide is also available on the 'Help' tab at the bottom-left of the AnalyticMath program window.

Using the Primary KeyPad

Placing an Exponent Using the <Exponent> Button:
(1)   Type the base character to which the exponent will be applied.
(2)   Press the <Exponent> Button. This will apply an 'empty exponent' to the base character. (Empty components are signified by yellow boxes. See the example below.)
(3)   The caret will be set into the correct position for character insertion into the exponent. Therefore, one need only type the desired exponent character(s).

Below is an example of these 3 steps:

Note that the 'yellow boxes' of empty components can be treated essentially like any other character. Specifically, they can be deleted by use of the <Del> key or or the <BkSp> key.

Tip:
Most keypad buttons have actions that are activated by a left-click and reversed by a right-click on the same button (this must be done before the caret has been moved to another location).
To see this, simply left-click the exponent button and follow this by a right-click on the same button. The exponent will be inserted on the left-click and removed on the right-click.

The <Subscript>, <Superscript>, and <Subscript+Superscript> buttons behave in a similar way to the <Exponent> button. Some examples are below.

Placing a Subscript Using the <Subscript> Button:

Placing a Superscript Using the <Superscript> Button:

(Note that the 'e' used here has been embellished using the <Hat> embellishment button prior to having superscript applied to it.)

Placing a Subscript+Superscript Using the <Subscript+Superscript> Button:

Note:
Covariant, contravariant, and mixed tensor components can also be denoted using the above subscript, superscript and subscript+superscript buttons respectively.

The <Fraction> and <Square Root> Buttons:

To insert either of these structures into a document, simply place the caret at the desired insertion point and press the appropriate button. An empty fraction or square root (depending on the button pressed) will be placed to the right of the insertion point. Characters and/or other structures can then be inserted into the 'yellow box(es)'. (Note that, yellow boxes of all types of structures disappear as soon as a single character is entered in their place.)

Examples of Insertion of an Empty Fraction and an Empty Square Root:

Character Embellishment Buttons:

Embellishments can be added to any non-numeric character either by placing the caret to their right and pressing the desired embellishment button or by selecting that character with the mouse and then pressing the desired embellishment button.

The two examples below demonstrate both these methods in embellishing an 'x' with a bar:
(Note, at present, the bar embellishment is applicable to single characters only; however, in future this function will be modified to incorporate any number of characters.)

		Caret to Right of Character.
		Character Selected Using the Mouse.

The bar embellishment could be removed by placing the caret to the right of the embellished character (or by selecting it with the mouse) and then right-clicking the bar embellishment button. The other way to remove an embellishment is merely to delete the character (with its embellishment) and then re-enter the character.

The <Brackets> and <Absolute Value> Buttons:

Any expression can be enclosed within round brackets or absolute value symbols by simply selecting the expression to be enclosed and pressing one of these buttons.

Of course, brackets of any type as well as absolute value symbols can also be added to a document simply by typing them in via the keyboard.

This demonstrates the enclosure of the expression 'a+b+c' with round brackets:
 

Tip:
You can locate a matching bracket by simply placing the caret to the left or right of the bracket to be matched (or by selecting that bracket with the mouse) and pressing Ctrl-M (also available in the 'Search' menu: Search -> Match Bracket).

Operators and Character Buttons:

Simply pressing an operator or character keypad button inserts that object at the insertion point. This also holds true for all the Greek letters on the 'Greek' tab.

Tip:
The caret can be moved easily out of exponents, subscripts, superscripts, fractions, etc. by using the arrow keys or mouse. The 'Esc' key on the keyboard (or on the Primary keypad - see the orange button) can also be used to move the caret out of its current level.

A Note on the Nesting of Mathematical Structures:

The structures discussed above (Exponents, Subscripts, Superscripts, Fractions, Square Roots etc.) can be nested, one inside the other. The example below is nothing but rubbish, but it gives some idea as to what the editor is capable of with regard to nesting:

Tip:
When navigating complicated mathematical expressions, it is sometimes easier to use the arrow keys rather than the mouse.

Moving the Caret Out of the Current Level Using the <Esc> Button:
Pressing the <Esc> button will move the caret out one level with respect to its current position within a mathematical expression. In complicated expressions, the button can be pressed multiple times until the desired level is reached - continual pressing will eventually move the caret to the baseline where it will go no further. Note that the 'Esc' button on the keyboard will function in the same way. In addition, the caret can always be moved using the arrow keys or mouse.

The simple example below demonstrates how one press of the <Esc> button moves the caret from the exponent level to the baseline level:

Deleting and Clearing the Screen Using the <Clear> Button:

Pressing the <Clear> button, with no text having been previously selected, will result in the clearing (deletion) of the entire contents of the editor. Like all edits, this can be undone/redone if desired.
If the <Clear> button is pressed, with text having been previously selected, then only the contents of the selection will be deleted (of course, the 'Del' key on the keyboard will do the same thing).

Evaluating Algebraic Expressions Using the <Equal> Button:

Evaluating basic algebraic expressions can be performed very easily by selecting the expression to be evaluated with the mouse and pressing the <Equal> button - this command is also available via the pop-up menu.
(See page 2 of the Quick Start Guide for a list of functions that this program currently recognizes.)

A few examples demonstrating the evaluation of algebraic expressions:

 
(Notice in the last example, that there are variables present that can not be evaluated. In such cases, the program does only what it can and leaves the rest in place.)

Tip:
There are 3 symbols available for scalar multiplication; two of these are found on the primary key-pad - the dot-product and cross-product symbols. The asterisk (e.g. 2*3) can also be used providing that it is selected to perform this function in the 'Preferences' menu (this is the default):
(Preferences -> Use Asterisk For: -> Symbol Denoting Scalar Multiplication).
Of course, brackets can also be used to denote scalar multiplication.
It is important to realize that product symbols are not generally required in the sense that they would be in a programming language. For instance, A_msin(kx) is readily understood by this program to represent the product of a variable denoted by A_m and the function sin(kx) - no multiplication sign is required between them.

Tip:
The number of decimal places that is shown for any calculation that results in a numerical value can be set by going to the 'Preferences' menu and selecting the first menu-item there:
'Set Decimal Places on Calculated Values...'. Both the minimum and maximum number of decimal places can be set. Setting the minimum to a non-zero value will force trailing zeros to be added until the minimum number of decimal places is reached.
For example, 2² will be set to a value of 4 when the min is set to 0 (the default) and 4.0 with the min
set to 1.

(Note   A good set of values for general work is:   max=4, min = 1.)

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