Maple is a computer algebra system that saves its users time and routine work.  In this course we are using Maple version 7 as a tool with complex numbers to first facilitate understanding and secondly to help us do the work that a machine can do faster thus leaving us with more time to think. Maple commands are preceded by > and always end with ;

To invoke a help session about complex numbers in Maple use:

>?complex

1. Activity 1 – Getting familiar with Maple with some examples on complex numbers

Examples:

Find the modulus (absolute!) value of a complex number:

> abs(2+19*I);

The nice thing about Maple is that it can do symbolic representation as well as calculation:

> a:=abs(2*z+3);

> z:=1+I;

> a;

2. Activity 2  Maple explorations on your own

Maple contains many packages.  To load up the Linear Algebra package , for example, use:

>with(LinearAlgebra):

Note the colon : is used instead of the semicolon; because the latter will list all the functions in Linear Algebra.

Now play around with some examples of your own.