Wolfram Mathematica facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wolfram Mathematica

Developer(s)	Wolfram Research
Initial release	June 23, 1988; 36 years ago (1988-06-23)
Stable release	14.0.0  (January 9, 2024; 16 months ago (2024-01-09))
Written in	Wolfram Language, C/C++, Java
Platform	Windows, macOS, Linux (includes separated support for Raspbian on Raspberry Pi), online service. All platforms support 64-bit implementations. (list)
Available in	English, Chinese, Japanese
Type	Computer algebra, numerical computations, information visualization, statistics, user interface creation
License	Proprietary

Wolfram Mathematica is a powerful computer program. It helps people solve many kinds of problems in science, math, and engineering. Think of it as a super smart helper for complex tasks.

This software can do things like:

• Machine learning: Teaching computers to learn from data.
• Statistics: Analyzing numbers to find patterns.
• Symbolic computation: Working with math problems using symbols, not just numbers.
• Data analysis: Organizing and understanding large amounts of information.
• Creating graphics: Making cool charts and pictures from data.
• Building apps: Designing simple computer programs.

Stephen Wolfram first thought of Mathematica. His company, Wolfram Research, develops it. The special language it uses is called the Wolfram Language. Mathematica 1.0 came out on June 23, 1988, in Illinois and California.

How Mathematica Works

Mathematica has two main parts that work together. These are like the brain and the screen of the program.

The Kernel and Front End

The first part is called the kernel. This is the "brain" that understands and solves math problems. When you type in a command, the kernel figures out the answer.

The second part is the front end. This is what you see on your computer screen. It shows you what you type and displays the answers from the kernel. It's like the notebook where you write your ideas and see the results.

Notebook Interface

The main way you use Mathematica is through its notebook interface. Imagine a digital notebook where you can mix different things:

• Code: The instructions you give to Mathematica.
• Plain text: Your notes or explanations.
• Images: Pictures you want to include.
• Graphics: Charts and plots that Mathematica creates.

This notebook system was designed by Theodore Gray in 1988. It makes it easy to organize your work and share it with others.

Other Ways to Use It

Besides the main notebook, there are other ways to work with Mathematica:

• Wolfram Workbench: This is a special tool for programmers. It helps them write and test code for Mathematica.
• Command line: Some users prefer to type commands directly into a text-based window.

Mathematica files usually end with `.nb` (for notebooks) or `.m` (for settings files). The program is designed to work well with older versions, so your old files should always open.

Powerful Computing Features

Mathematica is built to handle very complex and large calculations quickly. It has many features that make it a high-performance computing tool.

Speed and Efficiency

Over the years, Mathematica has added features to make it faster:

• Packed arrays: These help the program store and work with large lists of numbers more efficiently.
• Sparse matrices: This is a smart way to handle tables of numbers that have many zeros, saving memory.
• High-precision math: It can do calculations with extreme accuracy, far beyond what a normal calculator can do.

Using Multiple Processors

Modern computers often have multiple "brains" or cores. Mathematica can use all of them at once. This is called multi-threading. It means the program can split a big task into smaller parts and work on them all at the same time, making it much faster.

Parallel Computing

For even bigger tasks, Mathematica can work across many computers at once. This is called parallel computing. It's like having a whole team of computers working together on one giant problem. This is useful for very large scientific or engineering projects.

Graphics Card Power

Mathematica can also use the power of your computer's graphics card (GPU). Graphics cards are excellent at doing many calculations at the same time, which helps speed up certain types of math problems.

Adding More Tools

Mathematica is already packed with features, but you can also add more.

Built-in Functions

The Wolfram Language has thousands of built-in functions. These are like pre-made tools for different tasks. For example, there are functions for drawing graphs, solving equations, or analyzing data.

Community Contributions

People who use Mathematica can also create and share their own tools.

• Wolfram Function Repository: This is a place where users can share new functions they've created.
• Wolfram Data Repository: This stores useful data sets that anyone can use in their Mathematica projects.
• Wolfram Neural Net Repository: This has special tools for machine learning, helping computers learn from patterns.

Mathematica also includes a package called Combinatorica. This adds special tools for working with discrete math, like counting possibilities and understanding networks.

Connecting with Other Programs

Mathematica can talk to many other computer programs and services. This makes it very flexible.

Sharing Information

Mathematica uses a special language called Wolfram Symbolic Transfer Protocol (WSTP) to communicate. This allows it to send and receive information from other programs.

Linking to Other Languages

Developers can connect Mathematica to programs written in other popular languages like:

• C
• Java
• Python

This means you can use Mathematica's powerful math abilities within programs written in these languages.

Working with Models and Data

Mathematica can also:

• Work with Modelica models, which are used to simulate real-world systems like engines or robots.
• Connect to Wolfram SystemModeler, another tool for building and testing these models.
• Get real-time data from different sources.
• Read and write information to public blockchains (like those used for Bitcoin).
• Import and export over 220 types of files, including images, videos, sound, and design files.

Recently, support was added for connecting Mathematica to Arduino boards. This means you can use Mathematica to control electronic projects!

Smart Data Inside

Mathematica is connected to Wolfram Alpha. This is an online "answer engine" that provides lots of facts and data.

When you use Mathematica with an internet connection, you can access this huge amount of information. This includes data about:

• Space (astronomy)
• Chemicals
• Countries and places
• Languages
• Health and biology
• Airplanes
• Weather
• And, of course, tons of math data!

Some of this data is even updated in real-time, so you always have the latest information.

See also

In Spanish: Mathematica para niños