Thursday, May 21, 2009

Wolfram/Alpha...with Math!

Mathematicians across the globe are rejoicing over the mad scientist Stephen Wolfram's new toy, Wolfram/Alpha. This Google-like website is free for everyone to use, but you get oh-so-much more than you pay for.

Type in any math expression into the search box, and Wolfram/Alpha will analyze the heck out of it. This type of analysis has in the past taken an incredible amount of time, a deep understanding of the workings of the software package Mathematica, and of course it would cost an arm and a leg (Mathematica ain't free, folks).

So Wolfram/Alpha has pulled off what computer programs do best: it takes a tedious and difficult task that needs to be done repeatedly and automates it. The free aspect is just the cherry on top. Bravo, Dr. Wolfram!


Here's one of my favorite examples involving a variant on the old "bell curve." Below is one of the wonderful pictures that the engine auto-creates.











Oh, and by the way, Wolfram/Alpha holds interest for more than just math geeks. Check out the popularity of your name, the population of your city, or diagrams of your favorite molecule. Have fun!

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