Home : Important Information for Users of The MathWorks Symbolic and Extended Symbolic Math Toolboxes

Frequently Asked Questions: I am a MATLAB® user and symbolic computation is an important aspect of my work. What are my options for symbolic computation? For MATLAB users who require symbolic computation, there are three options: Option 1 Maplesoft offers the Maple Toolbox for MATLAB®, which provides direct access to all of the commands, variables, and functions of each product while allowing you to work in either environment. This is the ideal option for MATLAB® users who rely on symbolic computation, and it provides a fully backwards compatible solution to existing customers of the Symbolic Math Toolbox™ products. Maplesoft is making a special offer available under which the Maple Toolbox for MATLAB® is offered free of charge. Visit the Maplesoft Web Store to order your free license. A license of Maple is required to take advantage of this option. How does it work? Maple, MATLAB, and the Maple Toolbox for MATLAB must be installed. Maple Toolbox for MATLAB is an add-on to MATLAB and Maple that tightly connects both products. With it, you can choose the environment in which to work while accessing the variables, functions, and commands of both products. If MATLAB is your primary working environment, symbolic calculations are performed behind the scenes by the powerful Maple engine. In the same manner as the Symbolic Math Toolbox™, variables are declared to be symbolic using the sym and syms commands. Commands applied to expressions involving symbolic variables automatically use the Maple symbolic engine to perform the calculation. Any Maple commands, including custom routines, can be used. If Maple is your primary working environment, you can call out to the MATLAB engine to set variables, perform calculations, and retrieve the results. Any MATLAB functions, including custom routines, can be called. Maple Toolbox for MATLAB allows you to transfer values between active sessions of Maple and MATLAB, so you can perform calculations in either environment while working on a single problem. From MATLAB, you can open a Maple window using the maple command, and then send MATLAB variable definitions to that Maple session using the setmaple command. You can then switch to the Maple interface and use all of Maple’s tools (including commands, palettes, context-sensitive menus, task templates, and interactive assistants) to perform calculations with those variables. To transfer values from Maple to MATLAB, assign the value to a Maple variable, and then, in MATLAB, use the getmaple command or declare that variable to be symbolic. Any symbolic variable in MATLAB automatically assumes the value it has in the corresponding Maple session.   Option 2 If you are a MATLAB® user and have a license of the new Symbolic Math Toolbox, you also have the option to connect to the Maple engine. The new versions of the Symbolic Math Toolbox provide a direct interface to Maple, allowing customers to continue using the Maple engine. A license of Maple is required to take advantage of this option. This option also provides a fully backwards compatible solution to existing customers of the Symbolic Math Toolbox products. To purchase Maple, visit the Maplesoft Web Store or contact Maplesoft Sales. How does it work? To use the Symbolic Math Toolbox with the Maple engine, you simply need to change a setting in MATLAB. Run the symengine command from MATLAB, select Maple Engine, and specify the directory in which Maple is installed. At that point, all symbolic calculations will be performed using the powerful Maple symbolic engine. Note: Unlike the Maple Toolbox for MATLAB, this option does not provide the ability to transfer values between active sessions of MATLAB and Maple. It does not provide access to 2-D math, context-menus, and other interactive tools in Maple; all calculations must be performed in the MATLAB environment.   Option 3 If you are a MATLAB® user, you also have the option of using a new symbolic kernel offered by The MathWorks®. While some parallels can be drawn between the basic symbolic functions, Maple is unique in delivering greater depth and breadth of computational abilities and superior performance in power, speed, and scalability. Maple’s integration of special functions, advanced differential equation solvers, tools for solving systems of equations and a wide variety of built-in packages such as Optimization, Statistics, and Dynamic Systems allow you to extend your solutions well beyond the scope of traditional symbolic computing tools. View more information on Maple’s mathematics capabilities. Back Maple Toolbox for MATLAB® provides direct access to all of the commands, variables, and functions of each product while you work in either environment. Learn More About Maplesoft • View Maple Details • View MapleSim Details • View an Application Brief • View a User Case Study • View a Recorded Webinar • View the Maplesoft Blog MATLAB is a trademark of The MathWorks, Inc.