Introduction

At Telemark College, Department of Technology in Porsgrunn, Norway, we have during the last four years incorporated the computer algebra system Maple V as an integrated part of the learning process througout all the subjects in the engineering mathematics curriculum. Maple's capability of both symbolic and numerical computation and graphical visualization permit us to develop greater conceptual understanding of the process under study not evident before the advent of a CAS tool like Maple. An important part of the design of a process is the modeling and simulation. The Maple system enables us to develop both simple and complex mathematical models in classrooms and labs, run them, analyze their output, modify them and rerun them easily. This makes mathematics more relevant and motivating for engineering students and provides valuable insight into the underlying dynamics, which helps the learner of mathematics to gain a better feel for what is going on than has hitherto been possible. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how Maple can be used to investigate and visualize with animations a selection of examples from our engineering mathematics curriculum [1, 2, 3], Taylor polynomials for f(x, y), the motion of a simple pendulum, a system of two or three spring-coupled masses, reflection and transmission of a wave pulse at a boundary, graphical interpretation of some convolutions and graphical visualizing of the solutions of a discrete dynamical system described by a difference equation.