Mathematica

New Features

New in version 8

Integration with Wolfram|Alpha

• Free-form lingusitic input - a new way to interact with the power of Mathematica: enter plain English; get immediate results and the Mathematica input for further exploration.
• Combine knowledge and computation - inject Wolfram|Alpha's vast knowledge directly into the Mathematica workflow, providing curated data for your computations, analysis, and development.

Core algorithms

• Automated Probability and Statistics Superfunctions - new superfunctions automatically compute the probability of any event and the expectation of any expression, estimate distributions from data, or quantify goodness of fit.
• More Statistical Distributions than Any Other System - work with 35 properties of 100 new distributions with specialised coverage of finance, medicine, and engineering. Includes automated parameter estimation.
• Build Your Own Distributions - easily define and use new distributions from data, formulas, or other distributions, including copulas, mixtures, order statistics, censoring, truncation, and transforms.
• Parameter Estimation and Testing - a new streamlined process for parameter estimation and goodness-of-fit testing for built-in parametric distributions and derived distribution constructors, with automatic selection or user specification of routines.
• Group Theory Algorithms - Mathematica 8 introduces new functions for fast manipulation of permutation groups and an extensive collection of operations to explore and visualise their properties.
• New and Improved Core Algorithms - compute with powerful new algorithms for fast and exact linear algebra, integration of oscillatory functions, equation and inequality solving over domains, many special functions, and more.

Application areas

• Comprehensive Image Processing Environment - with many new algorithms added for real-time image acquisition, feature detection, and more, Mathematica 8 offers a complete environment and interactive workflow for image processing and analysis.
• Integrated Wavelet Analysis - apply discrete or continuous high-performance wavelet analysis for thresholding and visualising in any dimension.
• Integrated Control Systems Design - analyse and design control systems using classical and state-space techniques, develop control solutions for analog and digital systems, and simulate models in open- and closed-loop configurations.
• Graphs and Networks - graphs and networks are now fully integrated into Mathematica, including high-performance scalable data structures, advanced aesthetics, and broad modeling and analysis capabilities.
• Built-in Financial Computations - perform comprehensive derivative calculations, including exotic option pricing; compute bond values, sensitivity measures, and more; and calculate time value of money with a variety of effective interest rate scenarios.
• New Import and Export Formats - supports the latest Microsoft Excel file format; automatically imports more elevation, satellite, seismology, microarray, graph, and other data formats; and includes plugin architecture for user-defined formats.

Software development

• Fast Compiled Functions - speed up code execution with the new options of automatic C code generation and linking. New automated parallel execution further multiplies performance on multicore machines.
• Dynamic Libraries - integrate external dynamic libraries directly into Mathematica - enabling high-speed, memory-efficient execution.
• Mathematica Shell Scripts - use high-level Mathematica language to make scripts invoked from the command shell.
• Integrated C Workflow - Automatically convert compilable Mathematica programs into C code, for standalone or integrated use. Mathematica directly interfaces to external C compilers for building executables and libraries.
• CUDA and OpenCL Support - Build GPU computation into your Mathematica programs using new support for CUDA and OpenCL environments.
• SymbolicC - Use SymbolicC to create, manipulate, and optimise C code, using the power of Mathematica's symbolic programming.

Graphics and visualisation

• New Statistics Visualisations - new statistics charts, including box whisker charts, quantile plots, and paired bar charts and histograms, with Mathematica's automation and flexibility.
• Interactive Financial Charts - instantly create customised interactive financial charts, applying more than 100 built-in financial indicators to your own data or built-in data feeds.
• Enhanced 2D and 3D Graphics - texture mapping of images to 3D surfaces with full hardware acceleration, built-in curve and filled curve primitives, and other new features.
• New and Improved Visualisation - new scaling function support for 2D and 3D charts and histograms, new options for applying textures to surfaces and regions, improvements to discrete plots, and more.
• Enhanced Illustration and Drawing Tools - illustrate ideas or annotate graphics using improved drawing tools, including dynamic guides.

Interface and user experience improvements

• Cell insertion assistant - choose different input types and text styles immediately through a new cell insertion assistant.
• New welcome screen - create new documents, open recent notebooks, learn new features, follow news and events, and more.
• Enhanced word processing capabilities - A multitude of new features better support everyday use of Mathematica for word processing: running heads, print preview, citation management, and end notes.

Features

Compute

Numerics of any precision, symbolics, or visualisation - Mathematica is the ultimate computational tool, with systemwide technology to ensure reliability, ease of use, and performance.

• Core Algorithms - The world's largest integrated web of mathematical capabilities and algorithms
• Numerical Computing - Industrial-strength numerics, from instant computations to heavy number crunching
• Application Areas - Fully integrated, specialist technical functionality
• Data Sources & Analysis - One-stop solution for data acquisition, processing, analysis, and visualisation
• Graphics & Visualisation - Uniquely integrated graphics and powerful visualisation.

Develop

Develop tools, applications, documents, or infrastructure components using Mathematica's seamless workflow, unique symbolic language, and advanced code editing environment.

• Programming & Development - The uniquely powerful symbolic language that is the foundation for Mathematica
• Interactivity & Interface Design - Dynamic interactive computing and instant interface building.

Deploy

Whether your deliverables are interactive documents, presentations, applications, or enterprise systems, Mathematica can deploy your results in a wide range of formats locally or across a network.

• Deployment & Connectivity - Immediate deployment for all scales
• Productivity & Usability - Streamlined workflow, from concept to results.

System Req.

System requirements

• Windows XP/Vista/7Server 2003/Server 2008, Mac OS X, Linux x86, and compatible systems (32-bit/64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Pentium III 650 MHz or equivalent
• Disk Space: 4GB
• System Memory (RAM): 512MB required; 1GB+ recommended
• Internet Access: Required in order to use free-form linguistic input and computable data functionality.