MATHTOOL

AN INTERACTIVE
MATHEMATICAL
FUNCTION INTERPRETER









USER'S GUIDE
VERSION 1.1









(C) COPYRIGHT 1988 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
by
MARTIN J. MAHER
MJM Engineering
P.O. BOX 2027
HAWTHORNE,CA 90251































TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------


ITEM PAGE
---- ----

TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................. 1
INTRODUCTION ...................................... 2
HISTORY ............................................ 3
USING MTOOL ........................................ 4
EDITING ............................................ 5
ENTERING A FUNCTION ................................ 6
MAIN MENU .......................................... 10
EVALUATION AT A SINGLE POINT ....................... 11
EVALUATION OVER A RANGE OF POINTS .................. 12
INTEGRATION ........................................ 13
EVALUATION AND INTEGRATION COMBINED ................ 14
DERIVATIVE ......................................... 15
SOLUTIONS .......................................... 16
GRAPHICS ........................................... 17
DIFFICULTIES ....................................... 19
LOOPING ............................................ 20
APPLICATIONS ....................................... 21
LEGALITIES ......................................... 25
SHAREWARE .......................................... 26
REGISTRATION FORM .................................. 27




























1











INTRODUCTION
------------


Mtool is a function interpreter. The "M" in Mtool stands for
"Math." The program can handle virtually any well-behaved
mathematical function of a single variable. It is designed to be easy
to use, prompting the user at every step for whatever information it
needs. Once you have defined a function, Mtool gives you the
following capabilities:

1) Evaluate the function for any value of the independent
variable.

2) Evaluate the function over a range of values of the
independent variable.

3) Numerically integrate the function.

4) Evaluate the derivative of the function for a given
value of the independent variable.

5) Find solutions of the function over some range of
the independent variable.

6) Plot the function.


Mtool is written in Turbo Pascal, and all of its operations are
carried out completely in memory. Mtool requires a minimum of 256k
of memory. Since Mtool uses dynamic data structures, it can access
as much memory as is available. Testing shows, however, that even
very complicated functions rarely require more than about 50k of
memory. The plotting capability requires graphics capability. Since
Mtool is written in Turbo Pascal, version 4.0, it supports all common
PCompatible graphics standards - CGA, EGA, VGA, and Hercules.



















2










HISTORY
-------

Mtool fills a need that I first perceived several years ago when
I was a student in engineering school. Often when I was reading some
text or other, I came across a complicated mathematical function or
formula. Normally the author of the text would make some statements
about the formula regarding its behavior or certain of its
properties. Usually at this point I thought that seeing a plot of
the function would make things much clearer. Most of the time I had
three alternatives - look in vain in the text for a plot; plot it
myself by hand, a job only a masochist could enjoy; or forget about
it. Naturally, alternative three was my usual choice.

Eventually, I became the owner of a Compaq Deskpro and a copy of
the Turbo Pascal compiler. I started writing a program that would
plot any function that I could type in. My purpose, at first, was
only to learn Turbo Pascal. Then I started adding some other things,
like integration and derivatives. The idea gradually grew that Mtool
might make a good shareware program, and so here it is.

The full power of Mtool is demonstrated later in this document
with the inclusion of script that you can use to generate some very
complicated results. The program is powerful enough that I wish I
would have had it when I was in engineering school, for it certainly
adds a fourth and most attractive alternative to the list above.





























3










USING MTOOL
-----------


Using Mtool is easy. It is merely a matter of answering prompts
the program issues, and of making menu choices. First, the program
leads you through a series of steps which define your function.
Options such as the ability to define characters representing
constants and subfunctions add to the complexity of function that you
can define.

After your function is defined, Mtool presents you with its main
menu. Depending on your choice Mtool further prompts you for any
information it needs. Finally, after Mtool has completed your choice
of operations, it allows you the options of continuing to use the
same function, of defining a new function, of editing your function,
or of leaving the program.

The next several sections of this document give a detailed
description of how to use Mtool, including many examples.



































4










EDITING
-------


Mtool includes some simple editing tools as part of its user
interface. It shows, in reverse video, the length of string that can
be entered in reply to a prompt. For example, the main function
definition can hold as many as 73 characters, so the main function
prompt is followed by a reverse video bar 73 spaces long. Another
example is the independent variable definition which allows only one
character and so is followed by one reverse video space.

Mtool supports five editing keys. The keys and their functions
are:

Left arrow - moves cursor to left.
Right arrow - moves cursor to right as far as end of string.
Backspace - deletes a character and moves cursor to left.
End - moves cursor to end of string.
Home - deletes entire string.

A character is replaced by placing the cursor directly on it and
typing the desired character - that is, the editor works in
overstrike mode. Insert mode is not supported at this time.

Suppose that you had entered the string

cos98*x) + cos(7*x)

and wished to replace the "9" with a "(". Assuming that the cursor
is at the end of the string, hold down the left arrow key until the
cursor is on the "9", press "(", then press "End" to return the
cursor to the end of the string. One note of caution - if you press
the return key the string will be truncated at the cursor position.
Any characters to the right of the cursor will be lost, so pressing
the end key before the return key is important.

These simple editing keys apply at all Mtool prompts.

















5










ENTERING A FUNCTION
-------------------


Mtool starts with a message from the author. After this
advertisement, Mtool issues its first prompt:

Independent variable:

Any lower case letter except for the first four are legal
responses to this prompt. The letters "a" through "d" are reserved
for use as subfunctions, which will be described below. If you try
to enter an answer that the program does not allow, it will issue a
warning, beep, and prompt again:

Independent variable:

Invalid choice - try again.

This will continue until Mtool gets an answer it likes, namely,
any lower case letter from "e" to "z".

Defining an independent variable does not mean that the other
letters from "e" to "z" are off limits. You can use any of them
anywhere in your function, and Mtool will consider them to be
constants and query you for their values - more on this later.

Next, Mtool asks for subfunctions. A subfunction is best
described with an example. Suppose that

f(x) = a + b

where a = cos(8*x) and b = cos(9*x).

Then a and b are subfunctions. Mtool allows you to define as many as
four subfunctions, each of which may contain as many as fifty
characters. Any operation that can be performed on a variable can be
performed on a subfunction, so in the example above we could have
f(x) = a*b, or f(x) = a/b, or f(x) = a^b, etc.

The program asks how many subfunctions you wish to define. The
appearance of the second screen depends on your answer to this
prompt. The number of subfunction lines which appear is the same as
your answer. An example of the first two screens with four
subfunction definitions and a main function definition appears on the
next page.









6












INITIALIZATION


Independent variable: x

How many subfunctions(min 0; max 4): 4

ENTER FUNCTION


f(x) =

where a =
b =
c =
d =




a = cos(3*x)
b = cos(5*x)
c = cos(7*x)
d = cos(9*x)

f(x) = a + b + c + d


Before the program accepts a subfunction definition, it makes a
first pass at parsing the expression. In this pass it is looking for
errors or constructions that it cannot deal with. Examples are
unbalanced parentheses or back-to-back operators. If the program
detects any errors, it will issue a warning message and prompt again
for the same subfunction. It will not allow you to enter a string of
more than fifty characters as a subfunction.

The next prompt after the subfunctions have been defined is the
main function prompt. This string may be as long as 73 characters.
Once again, the program will make a first pass at the string looking
for errors or bad constructions. It will also make sure that you
have not attempted to use an undefined subfunction character. If it
finds any problems, it will issue a message and prompt again for the
function definition.

Besides variables and constants, Mtool recognizes several
operators and many standard mathematical functions. A complete list,
with examples, follows on the next page.







7










Operators
---------

Addition + 2 + 2 = 4
Subtraction - 3 - 2 = 1
Multiplication * 3 * 2 = 6
Division / 4 / 2 = 2
Exponential ^ 2 ^ 3 = 8

Mathematical Functions
----------------------

Absolute value abs(x)
Exponential exp(x)
Cosine cos(x)
Sine sin(x)
Tangent tan(x)
Inverse cosine acos(x)
Inverse sine asin(x)
Inverse tangent atan(x)
Factorial fac(x)
Hyperbolic sine sinh(x)
Hyperbolic cosine cosh(x)
Hyperbolic tangent tanh(x)
Inverse hyperbolic sine asinh(x)
Inverse hyperbolic cosine acosh(x)
Inverse hyperbolic tangent atanh(x)
Logarithm, base 10 log(x)

Natural logarithm ln(x)

The x in each math function represents the argument of the
function. It must be enclosed within parentheses. This argument can
be any legal Mtool expression. The arguments for trigonometric
functions and the values of inverse trigonometric fuctions are
assumed to be in radians. If you wish to use degrees, then include a
factor to convert from degrees to radians. This can be done by using
two constants, setting one equal to pi and the other equal to 180.
An example of how to do this is shown in the Main Menu section below.

Some examples follow. These examples show all the Mtool prompts
and all the necessary replies to define functions.

Example 1 - Fifth degree polynomial

Independent variable: x

How many subfunctions(min 0; max 4): 0

Function definition:

f(x) = x^5 + 4*x^4 - 7*x^3 + 10*x^2 + 2*x - 12




8










Example 2 - Trigonometric function with constants

Independent variable: x

How many subfunctions(min 0; max 4): 0

Function definition:

f(x) = cos(m*x) + cos(n*x)

(Later Mtool will ask for values for m and n.)

Example 3 - Function with one subfunction

Independent variable: x

How many subfunctions(min 0; max 4): 1

Subfunction definition:

a = 3*x^3 + 2*x^2

Function definition:

f(x) = cos(a)

Example 4 - Function with four subfunctions

Independent variable: t

How many subfunctions(min 0; max 4): 4

Subfunction definitions:

a = cos(t) + cos(3*t)
b = cos(5*t) + cos(7*t)
c = cos(9*t) + cos(11*t)
d = cos(13*t) + cos(15*t)

Function definition:

f(t) = a + b + c + d













9










MAIN MENU
---------


After the function has been defined, Mtool will echo the
function definition and list the main menu. If the function were the
one in Example 4 above, then Mtool would put this on the screen:


f(t) = a + b + c + d

where a = cos(t) + cos(3*t)
b = cos(5*t) + cos(7*t)
c = cos(9*t) + cos(11*t)
d = cos(13*t) + cos(15*t)


1) Evaluate at a single point.
2) Evaluate over a range of points.
3) Integrate.
4) Both 2 and 3.
5) Derivative.
6) Solve.
7) Graph.
Enter choice:

Mtool expects you to answer with a number from 1 to 7 depending
on what you want it to do. After you make your choice Mtool will ask
you for any other information it needs. This information, and thus
Mtool's prompts, vary depending on your choice. The next several
sections will describe these prompts and possible responses.
























10











EVALUATION AT A SINGLE POINT
----------------------------


The first choice in the menu causes Mtool to evaluate the
function for a single value of the independent variable. This means,
of course, that Mtool must query you for the value you wish to use.
Mtool will also query you for the values of any constants that may
have been included in your function. An example that includes
constants is shown below.


f(x) = cos(m*x) + cos(n*x)







What is the value of x: 0.2000
What is the value of n: 9.0000

m = 8.0000
n = 9.0000





Evaluating function

f( 0.2000 ) = -2.5640161698E-01

Press any key to continue.


Note that the arguments of the cosine terms in this function
have the unit radians. Also note that the spacing that appears on
the screen is accurately represented in this example. The prompt
asking for the value of m was issued but is not shown here because it
was overwritten by the prompt for n.












11











EVALUATION OVER A RANGE OF POINTS
---------------------------------

The second menu selection causes Mtool to evaluate the function
over a range of points. How this works should be clear from the
example below. Screen formats are not reproduced in this example.

f(x) = cos(p*x/n)

1) Evaluate at a single point.
2) Evaluate over a range of points.
3) Integrate.
4) Both 2 and 3.
5) Derivative.
6) Solve.
7) Graph.
Enter choice: 2

What is the value of p: 3.141592654

n = 180.0000

Lower limit of x: 0.0000
Upper limit of x: 10.0000
Number of subdivisions(even for integration): 10

Evaluating function...

f( 0.0000000000E+00 ) = 9.9999999999E-01
f( 1.0000 ) = 9.9984769515E-01
f( 2.0000 ) = 9.9939082702E-01
f( 3.0000 ) = 9.9862953475E-01
f( 4.0000 ) = 9.9756405026E-01
f( 5.0000 ) = 9.9619469809E-01
f( 6.0000 ) = 9.9452189537E-01
f( 7.0000 ) = 9.9254615164E-01
f( 8.0000 ) = 9.9026806874E-01
f( 9.0000 ) = 9.8768834059E-01
f( 10.0000 ) = 9.8480775301E-01

Press any key to continue.

Several things should be noted here. First, the total range of
values of the independent variable is defined by the responses to the
lower and upper limit prompts. Second, the number of points at which
the function is evaluated is always one greater than the number of
subdivisions. Third, the independent variable increment is the total
range divided by the number of subdivisions.

This example also shows how conversion from radians to degrees
works. The evaluated values are the cosines of angles from zero to
ten degrees at one degree intervals.


12













INTEGRATION
-----------



Mtool uses Simpson's Rule to numerically integrate. Simpson's
Rule requires that the interval of integration be divided into an
even number of subintervals. The greater the number of subintervals,
the more accurate the answer. Here's an example of how this works in
Mtool. All Mtool output is present, but screen formats are not
reproduced.


f(x) = 6*x^2



1) Evaluate at a single point.
2) Evaluate over a range of points.
3) Integrate.
4) Both 2 and 3.
5) Derivative.
6) Solve.
7) Graph.
Enter choice: 3

Lower limit of x: 0.0000
Upper limit of x: 5.0000
Number of subdivisions(even for integration): 20


Evaluating integral...


From 0.0000000000E+00 to 5.0000000000E+00

integral = 2.5000000000E+02


The antiderivative of this function is 2*x^3, and this evaluated
over the interval zero to five gives 250.0, which agrees exactly with
Mtool's result.










13











INTEGRATION AND EVALUATION OVER A RANGE OF POINTS
-------------------------------------------------



This selection combines the two previous functions. The inputs
and outputs are the same as before, as the following example shows.
Once again, all output is present, but screen formats are not
preserved.

f(x) = 6*x^2


1) Evaluate at a single point.
2) Evaluate over a range of points.
3) Integrate.
4) Both 2 and 3.
5) Derivative.
6) Solve.
7) Graph.
Enter choice: 4


Lower limit of x: 0.0000
Upper limit of x: 5.0000
Number of subdivisions(even for integration): 10

Evaluating function and integral...

f( 0.0000000000E+00 ) = 0.0000000000E+00
f( 0.5000 ) = 1.5000000000E+00
f( 1.0000 ) = 6.0000000000E+00
f( 1.5000 ) = 1.3500000000E+01
f( 2.0000 ) = 2.4000000000E+01
f( 2.5000 ) = 3.7500000000E+01
f( 3.0000 ) = 5.4000000000E+01
f( 3.5000 ) = 7.3500000000E+01
f( 4.0000 ) = 9.6000000000E+01
f( 4.5000 ) = 1.2150000000E+02
f( 5.0000 ) = 1.5000000000E+02

From 0.0000000000E+00 to 5.0000000000E+00

integral = 2.5000000000E+02
Press any key to continue.









14











DERIVATIVE
----------



This selection evaluates the derivative of the function for some
particular value of the independent variable. It uses the standard
definition of the derivative as a limit. This definition can be
found in any elementary calculus text. Only one prompt is necessary
after the menu choice, the value of the independent variable. The
following example shows how it works.

f(x) = 6*x^2



1) Evaluate at a single point.
2) Evaluate over a range of points.
3) Integrate.
4) Both 2 and 3.
5) Derivative.
6) Solve.
7) Graph.
Enter choice: 5

Value of x : 2


Evaluating derivative....


fprime( 2.0000000000E+00) = 2.3997318793E+01



Mtool's result is returned as fprime. Of course, the derivative
of 6*x^2 is 12*x, and for x = 2, 12*x = 24. Mtool's result is close
to this, but not exactly correct. This is an unavoidable byproduct
of the differing natures of computation and mathematics, but the
accuracy of derivatives in Mtool will rarely if ever be less than
four places.













15











SOLUTIONS
---------

One of Mtool's most powerful functions is its ability to find
roots of equations. All it requires is a range of independent
variable values within which to look. The example below shows a case
in which eleven roots are found.

f(x) = cos(8*x) + cos(9*x)

1) Evaluate at a single point.
2) Evaluate over a range of points.
3) Integrate.
4) Both 2 and 3.
5) Derivative.
6) Solve.
7) Graph.
Enter choice: 6

Enter range to search for solution.

Lower bound: 0.0000
Upper bound: 4

Solutions between x = 0.0000000000E+00 and x = 4.0000000000E+00

At x = 3.8807909265E+00 f(x) = 9.1622496257E-09
At x = 3.5111917891E+00 f(x) = 7.7397999121E-10
At x = 3.1415927394E+00 f(x) = 9.0949470177E-13
At x = 2.7719935179E+00 f(x) = 6.3664629124E-12
At x = 2.4023943823E+00 f(x) = -7.7034201240E-10
At x = 2.0327952467E+00 f(x) = 2.2337189876E-09
At x = 1.6631961111E+00 f(x) = -4.2809915612E-09
At x = 1.2935969755E+00 f(x) = 6.7411747295E-09
At x = 9.2399783991E-01 f(x) = -9.4601091405E-09
At x = 5.5439870339E-01 f(x) = -3.0299815990E-09
At x = 1.8479956780E-01 f(x) = 1.0559233488E-09

Press any key to continue.

The criterion used by Mtool is that, if the absolute value of
f(x) is less than 1.0e-8, then x qualifies as a root. Two cautions
are necessary. First, for some functions such as very high-order
polynomials, Mtool may not have great enough precision to find a
small enough value of f(x). In these cases Mtool will write its best
estimate along with the value of f(x) so that you can judge whether
it is indeed a root. Second, it may rarely occur that Mtool might
miss a root. This may occur when two roots are so close together
with respect to the size of the range being searched that Mtool sees
only one of them. Reducing the size of the range will allow Mtool to
see both. Coordinating Mtool's solution finding and graphics
capabilities will help you deal with these possibilities.


16











GRAPHICS
--------


Probably the most useful of Mtool's functions is its ability to
quickly generate plots of functions. Certainly this is the one that
I find most useful - indeed, it was just to have this that I wrote
the program in the first place. Once again, getting Mtool to do its
thing is very simple. Two examples are shown below - one for
automatic scaling and one for user-defined scaling.

EXAMPLE 1
---------
f(x) = cos(8*x) + cos(9*x)



1) Evaluate at a single point.
2) Evaluate over a range of points.
3) Integrate.
4) Both 2 and 3.
5) Derivative.
6) Solve.
7) Graph.
Enter choice: 7

Lower limit of x: 0.0000
Upper limit of x: 10.0000
Number of subdivisions(even for integration): 400
Automatic y-axis scaling(Y/N): y

EXAMPLE 2
---------
f(x) = cos(8*x) + cos(9*x)



1) Evaluate at a single point.
2) Evaluate over a range of points.
3) Integrate.
4) Both 2 and 3.
5) Derivative.
6) Solve.
7) Graph.
Enter choice: 7

Lower limit of x: 0.0000
Upper limit of x: 10.0000
Number of subdivisions(even for integration): 400
Automatic y-axis scaling(Y/N): n
Minimum y-axis value: -2
Maximum y-axis value: 2


17












The one thing missing in each of these examples is, of course,
the plot. But this is simple for you to remedy - just run Mtool,
type in the values shown, and you'll have the plots in about a minute
or so for each.

The autoscaling works by finding the maximum and minimum values
the function takes over the range of the plot, and setting the y-axis
accordingly. The user-defined option allows you to set the scale of
the y-axis so that you can compare different curves.

Mtool supports all common graphics standards - CGA, EGA, VGA,
and Hercules. It automatically detects what graphics board you have
in your computer and adjusts itself. This capability is one of the
many features added in version 4.0 of Turbo Pascal and - free
advertising for Borland International - a good reason to upgrade if
you haven't already.

Finally, if you have a graphics printer you can get printouts of
your plots. Before running Mtool run the program Graphics included
with PC/MS-DOS. This enables the computer to do a dump of a graphics
screen to the printer. When you have a plot that you wish to print,
just push the PrintScreen key.































18











DIFFICULTIES
------------


In the introduction I mentioned that Mtool can handle virtually
any well-behaved function of a single variable. A definition of what
constitutes a well-behaved function for Mtool is difficult, although
certainly any function that fits the calculus definition of a
continous function would qualify as well-behaved.

Functions that are not continuous can cause problems. Generally
speaking, there are three ways that a function can fail to be
continuous. All three can potentially cause problems for Mtool,
especially in the graphics area.

First, it may happen that a function does not exist at some
point. An example would be a rational function at a point where its
denominator becomes zero. If Mtool attempts to evaluate the function
at this point, it will issue an error message. However, it may occur
that you ask for a plot of this function over a range that includes
such a point but because of the choice of endpoints and number of
subdivisions, Mtool does not attempt to evaluate the function at that
point. A plot will appear, but the fact that the function does not
exist at some point will not be apparent from the plot. You would
only become aware of this discontinuity if Mtool tried to evaluate
the function at this point and issued a division by zero error
message.

Second, consider the function

f(x) = sin(x)/x , x <> 0
f(x) = 0, x = 0

Discontinuous functions of this nature cannot be defined in Mtool.
Only one of the two parts, say the first, could be defined. Then
f(x) = sin(x)/x becomes a type one function.

Third, and most troublesome to Mtool, are functions that are not
defined at some point, but do have limits that vary depending on the
direction of approach to the point. An example of this type of
function is tan(x). As x approaches pi/2 from below, tan(x) goes to
infinity. As x approaches pi/2 from above, tan(x) goes to negative
infinity. If you plot tan(x) from x = 1 to x = 2, you will see a
nearly vertical line near x = pi/2 because Mtool connects the points
on either side of pi/2.

The upshot of all this is, if you are dealing with
non-continuous functions, be careful, and if you get plots that seem
strange, check your function to see if it is one of these types.





19










LOOPING
-------



After any main menu operation has been completed, Mtool offers
you the chance to use the same function again without reentering the
subfunction and function definitions. The menu that it presents
looks like this:


f(t) = a + b + c + d

where a = cos(t) + cos(3*t)
b = cos(5*t) + cos(7*t)
c = cos(9*t) + cos(11*t)
d = cos(13*t) + cos(15*t)


S)ame function
N)ew function
E)dit function
Q)uit
Enter choice:

Mtool displays your current function definition and its simple
menu. The choices are obvious.

If you do choose to reuse the same function and if the function
contains constants, then Mtool will ask if you wish to change their
values. The prompts look like this:

Value of m same( 8.0000000000E+00)..(Y/N): y
Value of n same( 9.0000000000E+00)..(Y/N): y

Mtool shows the current value of the constant and asks if you
wish to leave it unchanged. If you answer no for any constant, then
at the normal position following the main menu, Mtool will ask you
for the new value. Immediately after you have answered these
constant prompts, Mtool goes into the main menu.















20











APPLICATIONS
------------


This section includes two rather complicated applications to
give you a taste of the types of things you can do with Mtool. Both
applications relate directly to the earlier History section because
they are both specific cases where I had wished that I had a tool
like Mtool.

Taylor Series
-------------

A Taylor Series can be found for any function f that has
derivatives of all orders at some point a. If we let T(x) be the
Taylor Series then

T(x) = f(a) + f'(a)(x-a) + f''(a)(x-a)^2/2! + ... +
fk(a)(x-a)^k/k! + ....

where fk denotes the kth derivative of f. The special case of the
Taylor Series about the point a = 0 is called the Maclaurin series.
These series are discussed at length in introductory calculus texts.

One application of these series is to approximate certain
functions. For example, the Maclaurin series for f(x) = e^x is given
by

1 + x + x^2/2 + x^3/3! + x^4/4! + ....

Given sufficient terms, this series converges to e^x for all x. My
questions were, how many terms are necessary, and how closely does
some number of terms, say 4 or 5 or 10, approach e^x, and over what
range of values of x does this approximation hold. If you are
familiar with Taylor and Maclaurin series, then you know that there
exists a formula for the remainder which gives the maximum error for
the series, but this will not give you the same feel for the accuracy
of the series approximation as a plot. For a plot of the error of a
twelve term Maclaurin series approximation to e^x, type the function
on the next page into Mtool.














21











f(x) = a + b + c + d - exp(x)

where a = 1 + x + x^2/2 + x^3/fac(3)
b = x^4/fac(4) + x^5/fac(5) + x^6/fac(6)
c = x^7/fac(7) + x^8/fac(8) + x^9/fac(9)
d = x^10/fac(10) + x^11/fac(11)



1) Evaluate at a single point.
2) Evaluate over a range of points.
3) Integrate.
4) Both 2 and 3.
5) Derivative.
6) Solve.
7) Graph.
Enter choice: 7

Lower limit of x: -2.0000
Upper limit of x: 2.0000
Number of subdivisions(even for integration): 200
Automatic y-axis scaling(Y/N): y

In about the same amount of time that it takes you to enter this
function you'll have a plot showing how closely this series matches
e^x over the given range of x. Using the "same" response to the loop
menu, you will be able to play with different ranges of x and with
different numbers of points to plot. If you're like me, you will
quickly get a much better feel for the accuracy of this approximation
than you would ever get from a formula or two.
























22











Fourier Series
--------------


The second application comes from one of my engineering courses.
According to Fourier analysis, a square wave can be approximated by
the series

f(t) = 1/2 + (2/pi)cos(t) - (2/3*pi)cos(3t) + (2/5*pi)cos(5t) - ....

The greater the number of terms the nearer the series approaches a
square wave. Usually in a text there will one and only one graph
that shows this. It would be nice to play around with this and see
how close series of different lengths actually do come to a square
wave. With Mtool this is possible. The following script shows how
to get a plot of the series when it has nine terms:



f(t) = a + b + c + d
where a = 1/2 + 2*cos(t)/p - 2*cos(3*t)/(3*p)
b = 2*cos(5*t)/(5*p) - 2*cos(7*t)/(7*p)
c = 2*cos(9*t)/(9*p) - 2*cos(11*t)/(11*p)
d = 2*cos(13*t)/(13*p) - 2*cos(15*t)/(15*p)



1) Evaluate at a single point.
2) Evaluate over a range of points.
3) Integrate.
4) Both 2 and 3.
5) Derivative.
6) Solve.
7) Graph.
Enter choice: 7

What is the value of p: 3.141592654

Lower limit of t: 0.0000
Upper limit of t: 10.0000
Number of subdivisions(even for integration): 200
Automatic y-axis scaling(Y/N): y


Once again, after a wait of about a minute or so, you'll be able

to see just how close this series approximates a square wave. If you
want you can zoom in on any part of the curve simply by choosing
"same" on the loop menu and resetting the range over which to plot.






23











LEGALITIES
----------


Mtool is shareware, also known as user-supported software. The
diskette with program and user's guide can be freely copied and
shared. The idea of shareware is that if the user finds the program
worthwhile then he can, at his own discretion, support the author by
sending him a contribution.

Mtool is NOT a public domain program. It is copyright (c) 1988
by Martin J. Maher, and the author retains all rights. In
particular, he retains the right to distribute this program and all
source code and documentation for profit. There is no guarantee that
Mtool will work correctly in all situations, and in no event will the
author be liable for any damages arising from the use or misuse of
this program.

User groups, bulletin boards, clubs, and shareware distributors
are authorized to distribute Mtool under the following conditions:

1. No charge is made for the software or the documentation. A
nominal distribution fee may be charged to cover copying
and distribution costs.

2. Recipients are to be notified of the shareware concept and
should be encouraged to support it.

3. The program and documentation are not to be modified in any
way.

4. The source code for Mtool is available to registered users.
They may alter it for their own use but may not distribute
it for profit.


Turbo Pascal is a trademark of Borland International, Inc.
Compaq and Compaq Deskpro are trademarks of Compaq Computer Corp.
MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft, Inc. PC-DOS, CGA, EGA, and VGA
are trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc. Hercules is
a trademark of Hercules Computer Technologies, Inc.













24











SHAREWARE
---------


My hopes are that you will find this program useful and that,
of course, you will decide to become a registered user of Mtool by
filling out the registration form on the last page and mailing it to
me along with a check for $10.00. In addition to the warm glow of
virtue, registration will bring you the following benefits:


1) The most recent version of the program.
2) The most recent version of the program that supports the
80x87 math coprocessor chips. This version runs
significantly faster.
3) Notification of future major upgrades.
4) Reduced prices for future major upgrades.


The source code for Mtool is available to registered users. The
purchase price is $10.00, so that the total for both registration and
source code is $20.00.

Above I mention future major upgrades. These upgrades may
include, but are not limited to, logarithmic and semi-logarithmic
plots, file support, expanded function definition capabilities, and
improved user interfaces. Finally, if you have any comments,
complaints, bug reports, or suggestions I would very much appreciate
hearing from you.

























25











REGISTRATION FORM
-----------------


You may register your copy of Mtool by filling out the following
form and mailing it with a check for $10.00 to the address below.
You will promptly receive a diskette with the most recent version of
Mtool, a version of Mtool that supports the 80x87 math coprocessor,
and the most recent version of the user's guide. You will also be
placed on our mailing list so that you may be notified of future
versions, and you will qualify for discounted prices on those future
versions. If your check is for $20.00, all Mtool source code will be
included on the diskette.

Thank you for your support.

Mail to:

Martin J. Maher
MJM Engineering
P.O. Box 2027
Hawthorne, Ca. 90251


Name_________________________________________________________


Address______________________________________________________


City/State___________________________________________________


Zip Code _________________________

How did you first learn about Mtool, or where did you receive
your first copy of Mtool?

___________________________________________________________________


___________________________________________________________________


Comments or suggestions

_____________________________________________________________________


_____________________________________________________________________




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