The Book: FAQ

How can I show the code that generated the pictures in the book?
In the electronic version of the book, simply click on the little triangle in the figure label underneath any picture. The diagram below shows the position of the little triangle.



How can I get a copy of the Solution Manual for the exercises?
Please see the Solution Manual page for more details.

Why is the answer in the book different to the answer I get?
    There are 3 likely explanations:
     
  1. Your earlier work is affecting your current work
    Sometimes, we forget that we assigned

          mu = 2

    whilst working on another problem two hours before, and this assignment is now affecting the current problem. And sometimes, it can be very difficult to remember precisely what assignment we made 2 hours ago. So, if something unexpected happens, by far the best strategy is to briefly scratch one's head in puzzlement, save one's work, then quit Mathematica, start it up again, re-launch mathStatica, and try the example again. If you still get a different answer, there are two remaining possibilities.

  2. The answers ARE the same - they merely LOOK different
    Sometimes, different versions of Mathematica may simplify the same expression slightly differently. Thus, your answer A and the book's answer B are in fact formally equivalent - they just look different. You can often show this by doing a test such as: FullSimplify[A==B, conditions], or you can just get an inkling of their equivalence by throwing in some numerical values for parameters.

  3. Eek - something *is* wrong
    If a bug really really really has crept in somewhere, whether it be in our work or that of Wolfram, please let us know so that we may take delight in squishing it.

I'm using Mathematica 4.1.2. Why do some tables not CENTRE correctly on screen?
Under Mathematica 4.1.2, some tables in the electronic chapters appear LEFT-aligned, whereas they are meant to appear CENTRED. Some buttons also do not work correctly. This front-end problem only occurs under Mathematica 4.1.2 and was quickly fixed by Wolfram Research. Please note: The problem does NOT occur under older or newer versions of Mathematica. If you are using 4.1.2, we suggest you upgrade to 4.2 or 5.0 (or revert to 4.0.x or 4.1.0).

How do I enter the symbol ?
The Mathematica symbol is used in many places throughout the book.

It is entered as     :>    

NOT as         :->

This is discussed on page 27 of the book.

Is there a new version of the Book for Mathematica 5?

  1. Electronic Book
    The Electronic version of the book has been updated and revised for perfect 5.0 compatibility. A free update is included with mathStatica 1.5 Gold. The updated and revised electronic book takes full advantage of new interface technologies in 5.0, now prevents accidental overwriting of chapters (especially useful in teaching / network / multi-user environments), and also resolves some Mac OS X user interface issues (floating palettes, buttons and animations).

  2. Printed Book
    When used with mathStatica 1.5, the Printed book remains current and will not be changing for 5.x at all. Why? Because, by updating the core mathStatica 1.5 code, we have been able to resolve all known issues that have arisen with 5.x at the software level. Indeed, out of thousands of Mathematica inputs in the book, only a tiny number need updating for Mathematica 5.x.