7 replies to this topic

[amateur]

I'm a complete novice. No exaggeration really. Up to now, I've just used my computer for the same things as most people: downloading music, watching videos, using forums, email, etc.

I didn't study computing at school, and never have out of school either.

No programming experience at all.

I want the quickest route to mastering the use of my computer to check for solutions to maths equations. these equations aren't easy things with obvious solutions, so I want something that will just do brute force and enter loads of different values into the formula, and tell me if it finds solutions.

I want to be able to use things like a^x and log[whatever base I want]x in my equations...and possibly other things too. i want to ask my computer to check for integer solutions, positive integer solutions, or any other type of solutions i might want at the time.

so i want your action plan for me. preferably a cheap one...i'm willing to buy some books but i hate buying software downloads/cds...something about it feels like a waste...but if it must be done, i'll do it. i'd just rather not...

sorry if this message is unclear. please say if it is, and i'll try to clarify.

[WingedPanther]

Maxima, a Computer Algebra System

[amateur]

thanks for the suggestion. i downloaded that a while ago though. it didn't check for solutions in the way i want. it just rearranged my equation into another form...which wasn't a very helpful form. any guidance on how to use maxima? it has loads of options etc...so i must be missing something when i try to get it to do something for me.

what would python do for me? would it work?
i've got access to a download...which documents would i have to read to be ready to use it? remember i'm an amateur. a complete amateur.

Edited by WingedPanther, 06 July 2009 - 12:29 PM.
Double post

[WingedPanther]

I haven't worked with any computer algebra system in ages. I would look for a function to force an approximation.

If you're a complete amateur, I have a feeling that getting a programming language to do the kinds of things you want may get rather frustrating quite quickly.

[amateur]

brute forcing of equations involving things like a^x and logs to certain bases, to find positive integer solutions, is all i'm after right now.

have you ever tried this? (i realise it's a random request...)

i'm very committed. if you give me a list of articles/sites/books to read from, i'll do it. but all i want is a method to check equations. so i'd like the most efficient method to do this, from my current level of knowledge.

sorry if i'm repeating myself here...i was on a student forum recently and there were 15 year olds using their computers to verify there were no integer solutions to an equation up to huge values. words like python and PHP were flying about...one person said that even though i know nothing about programming, i'd still be able to do what they were doing with python after about 2 hours' experience...ideas?

[zeroradius]

well math in programming is simple. If you know HOW to solve the problem than you can write a program to solve the program. lets say you want to do something simple such as solve for x : x=8+9 you could do this easily with a program like so:

$num1 = "8";

$num2 = "9";


$x = $num1 + $num2;


echo $x;

also there are a lot of built in functions to languages such as tan() wich returns the tangent of a triangle. For a full list of php math functions go here : PHP Math Functions also any normal math operator will work with it ( * / + = - and so on. but first you have to learn to use the language I sugest w3schools.com if you go with any web language althou you might be better off with somthing like C#

[WingedPanther]

It sounds to me like a little calculus will fix most of your issues. There are several techniques for finding 0s of functions. If you are looking for the solution of a^x = log_b(x), that is the same as looking for the zero of f(x) = a^x-log_b(x).

[amateur]

i've started a new thread you may have noticed.

it's very relevant to this one... basically, my new thread asks: could anyone tell me what i'd have to type into python to check for integer solutions (by brute force) to:
n = log[base2]((7^(x)-1)/(2^(x)-1))= log[base2](7^(x)-1) - log[base2](2^(x)-1)