What is Mathematica? | Getting Mathematica|
| What are the best steps to start using Mathematica?

What is Mathematica?

Mathematica is the world's most powerful global computing environment. Ideal for use in engineering, mathematics, finance, physics, chemistry, biology, and a wide range of other fields, it makes possible a new level of automation in algorithmic computation, interactive manipulation, and dynamic presentation--as well as a whole new way of interacting with the world of data.

Getting Mathematica...

Mathematica is currently installed in the following locations in computer labs and HPC centers across each campus. For specific information on installations at your school, contact your local site administrator, listed below.
Mathematica can also be installed on:
  • Faculty/staff school-owned machines: Installers are available from your local site administrator, listed below.
  • Faculty/staff personally-owned machines: Installers are available here.
  • Students' personally-owned machines: Please also contact your local site administrator, listed in the table below.

The College of Wooster
Mike Benchoff
Senior User Support Specialist
Morgan Hall
930 College Mall
phone: 330-263-2244
fax: 330-263-2666
mbenchoff@wooster.edu

Denison University
Tony Silveira
Systems Administrator for Math/CS
Information Technology Services, Fellows Hall
phone: 740-587-6707
fax: 740-587-6285
silveira@denison.edu

Kenyon College
Joseph Murphy
Dir. of Information Services
Chalmers Library
103 College Drive
phone: 740-427-5120
fax: 740-427-5824
murphyjm@kenyon.edu
Oberlin College
Cynthia Sanders
Director of Client Services
Center for Information Technology
148 West College Street
phone: 440-775-8774
fax: 440-775-8573
cindy.sanders@oberlin.edu
Ohio Wesleyan University
Dale J. Brugh
Conrades Wetherall Science Center
90 Henry Street
phone: 740-368-3530
fax: 740-368-3999
djbrugh@owu.edu

Are you interested in putting Mathematica elsewhere? Please let your local site administrator or Justin Smith know.

What are the best steps to start using Mathematica?

If you are brand-new to Mathematica, below are some suggestions on the best ways to get started.

Students
  1. Watch the "Hands-On Start to Mathematica" tutorial screencast.
  2. Explore the Learning Center for topics relevant to your interests.
  3. Launch Mathematica, open the Classroom Assistant, and perform your first few computations.
  4. You're now ready for the projects that faculty will assign.

Teaching faculty
  1. Sign up for the "Overview of Mathematica for Education" seminar.
  2. Explore the Learning Center for topics relevant to your interests.
  3. Find some prebuilt examples and courseware from the Demonstrations Project, MathWorld, and the Library Archive.
  4. Assign the above steps in the student section to your classes as homework.
  5. Sign up for the Faculty Program.

Research faculty
  1. Sign up for the "Overview of Mathematica for Education" seminar.
  2. Take other seminars relevant to your work.
  3. Explore the Learning Center for topics relevant to your interests.
  4. Go to the Demonstrations Project site to see what's possible.
  5. Go to the Library Archive for additional resources.