[General Topics] Skyica:
Advanced calculators of other types

MATLAB Mobile​

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This app allows to create and execute MATLAB scripts in the cloud.

Feature MATLAB is a full-featured programming language, extensive numeric and symbolic calculation functionality is available, and 2D and 3D graphs can be created (but not navigated).

The standard editor seems to work well and provides a custom keyboard, autocompletion, and syntax highlighting.

A command-line is also available.

Feature For tablets, a “notebook interface” is also available, where the code is placed on an interactive document together with the calculation results, graphics, and formatted text.

While this concept is optimal for longer complicated calculations, the app has serious issues with this currently. E.g., a stable internet connection seems to be always required while editing, the cursor cannot be moved with the arrow keys, and when text is selected, the keyboard disappears.

Already for working with the standard editor, the dependence on the cloud may be a disadvantage of course. Even with Wi-Fi, the connection gets lost from time to time, and one has to wait until the program is executed, or until one can continue editing.

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Maxima on Android​

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This is the long-established open-source computer algebra system Maxima (with roots going back to the 1960s) with a command-line interface.

Sadly, it was not updated since 2018, while Maxima is under continuous further development.

Features include

Autocompletion of commands

Results in LaTeX

2D and 3D graphs using Gnuplot (which cannot be navigated however )

User guide for Android and complete Maxima manual

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Xcas Pad​

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This is the open-source computer algebra system Xcas/Giac with a command-line interface.

Features include autocompletion of commands, results in LaTeX, and a command reference with examples.

Note that

GeoGebra

is based on Xcas/Giac.

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micro Mathematics​

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This is a calculator app with a “notebook interface”:

Feature Definitions of variables and functions, calculations, 2D and 3D graphs, text, and images can be placed on an interactive document.

While this concept is optimal for longer complicated calculations, the interface of the app is quite inefficient. For example, to enter sin(x)^2+1, you have to

Type sin(x

Long-tap sin

Type ^2

Long-tap sin

Tap the “expand selection” button

Type +1

(This could admittedly be done more efficiently by starting with the outermost operator, i.e. + in this case. But note that when modifying an expression, e.g. adding a summand, this will not work.)

The calculation and graphing capabilities are quite limited:

No symbolic calculation.

The equation solver cannot find more than one solution and does not work reliably.

Graphs cannot be navigated by touch, the variable ranges, and view angles for 3D, must be typed.

The z-range for 3D plot cannot be defined.

No implicit plots.

A good user manual is available.

Open Source, see here.

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DYsolve Math Solver​

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This is another calculator app with a “notebook interface”.

While expressions are typed in standard linear notation, which is faster than the method of micro Mathematics, there are serious problems currently, e.g.

Selecting, editing, placing and moving elements does not work well, and sometimes not at all

A bug on newer devices, the whole screen becomes blue sometimes and working on is not possible

The keys are very small on phones

The calculation and graphing capabilities are quite limited as well. I has a numeric solver for equation systems and ordinary differential equations (I did not test this), however

No symbolic calculation

3D graphs can be navigated using sliders only, which is inefficient, and view changes are not persisted

Z-range for 3D plot cannot be defined.

No implicit plots.

It is stated that it supports if/else blocks and for and while loops, however this is not described in the help and I did not find examples.

The app is aimed at engineering students, and there are worksheets for example problems available online.

I will include screenshots when the user interface is improved.

SMath Studio​

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This is a further calculator app with a “notebook interface”.

It seems to support differential equation solving and programming, however the user interface is very limited, and I could not find out how to enter more complicated expressions.

TechCalc Scientific Calculator​

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This is a uniquely comprehensive “multi-function calculator” with many specialized calculation modes for mathematical, scientific, engineering, and financial applications.

Feature It includes many important mathematical, mechanical, electrical, chemical, financial, and other formulas, ready for calculation. Further custom formulas can be added.

Feature It also has reference sections, e.g. differentiation & integration rules, statistics formulas, the periodic table, etc.

Feature There are several further useful features, it is appropriately called a "Swiss Army Knife".

While it has some advanced functionality like symbolic integration and 3D graphing, it is in general unsuitable for advanced mathematics:

The calculation functionality is distributed over many modes and sub-modes, e.g. for symbolic derivatives, numeric derivatives, symbolic integrals, numeric integrals, limits, etc.

Expressions involving derivatives, integrals etc. are not supported, so that for example the divergence or curl of a vector field cannot be calculated in one step.

Similarly, the graphing functionality is distributed so that for example a function graph and an implicit graph cannot be plotted together.

Further, textbook-style input is not supported, and editing expressions is inconvenient: To make changes in places other than the end, one must switch to an “edit mode” by long-tap, and switch back again before the result can be shown.

The interface is idiosyncratic, but well-organized comprehensive help is included.

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Scientific Calculator Scalar​

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This is a calculator app with a command-line interface, some advanced calculation features, some scripting functionality, and limited 2D graphing.

Feature Advanced calculation features:

Expressions can be saved to variables (“arguments”) and reference each other

Functions can be defined and can reference each other, also recursively

Variadic and piecewise functions can be defined

Sums and products with conditionals

“rep” statement for repetition with a fixed range of variable values

“if” function for simple alternatives

Very many special functions, like gamma, log-gamma, and digamma function, error function, etc.

Prime-counting function using the sieve of Eratosthenes, and approximations

Arbitrary-base numbers

Random variables for different ranges and distributions

Feature Scripts can be created, and the editor works well. However, the possibilities are quite limited since there are no flexible loops, no GOTO, and control structures cannot be nested.

Feature 2D graphing is well suited for discrete functions.

Otherwise, the calculation and graphing capabilities are quite limited:

No symbolic calculation

The equation solver cannot find more than one solution

Graphs cannot be navigated by touch, the variable ranges must be typed

(they can be zoomed and then moved by touch, but are not recalculated by this)

Only 3 functions can be drawn at a time

No parametric and implicit plots

No 3D graphing

The keyboard is quite well designed, with scrollable key rows. It is efficient for phones while leaving a large display area. However, it does not adapt to tablets.

The app is easy to use, and there are many in-app hints, examples, video tutorials, and a long user manual, which is quite repetitive however.

Source The expression parser is open source,

see here

.

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