What is Mathematica?

Mathematica is a computing platform created by the Wolfram company. It allows you to interactively enter commands and get results. These can range from solving differential equations to performing regression on a large dataset to computing the position of a star on a specific point in time.
A red, glowing octahedron resting with one of its points driven into the groun

Examples

Sample inputs and outputs

In[1]:= Solve[x^2+5==y^2,{x,y},Integers]
Out[1]:= {{x->-2,y->-3},{x->-2,y->3},
         {x->2,y->-3},{x->2,y->3}}
In[2]:= Plot3D[Sin[x+y^2],{x,-3,3},{y,-2,2}]
Out[2]:= ( See graph on right )
In[3]:= 20!
Out[3]:= 2432902008176640000
A 3D plot of the function Sin[x + y^2]

Key Facts

  • Inputs

    You enter your computation using the Wolfram Language. In this language every command is an expression. You can define your own or use one of the 6000+ built-in expressions.

  • Outputs

    When you submit your command, Mathematica checks that everything is valid before sending it to the Wolfram Kernel for evaluation. The result is then returned to you.

  • Notebooks

    All of your inputs and outputs are stored in a file called a Mathematica notebook. This is a record of all your computations and results. Each input and output is stored as a block called a cell.

Mathematica FAQ

  • Is Mathematica free or open source?

    No. Mathematica is a closed source application from Wolfram. Most colleges and universities have licenses for Mathematica, so if you are a student or professor you probably already have access. Otherwise you will need to pay for a license.

  • What types of computations can you do with Mathematica?

    The list of built-in functions is far too long to include here, but you can explore the capabilities online.

  • What was Mathematica first released?

    Mathematica version 1.0 was released on June 23, 1988. It has been expanding its capabilities to the present day.

  • What's the difference between Mathematica and the Wolfram Language?

    Originally Mathematica was described as "a system for doing mathematics by computer." But as the years passed its capabilities expanded to include the sciences, engineering, finance, and more. So the name was no longer a proper fit. So Wolfram decided to called the format and catalog of functions the Wolfram Language while keeping the name Mathematica for the notebook interface. There seems to be a reluctance from Wolfram to simply get rid of the Mathematica name and call it something more general.

Additional products

Wolfram Language

Learn about the Wolfram Language, the way you express data and computations in all products from Wolfram.
#LearnMore
A circular icon with a black border, a portrait of a white wolf (for Wolfram), and a red background