MuPAD Graphics - Stretching Limits of Scientific Visualization

Abstract

Teaching mathematics is based on teaching certain core concepts and then learning how to extend these core concepts so that our students can address new problems. Mathematics, I shall assert, is more about visualization of a problem than following problem-solving recipes.

Now when computers have become commodity items, generation of complex graphical structures has become fast and reliable. My experiences have demonstrated that not only we can provide better visualization of complex mathematical objects, but also we can animate algorithms in a way that expands the students understanding of complex processes and often leads to new insights, new simplifications, and better understanding of concepts that, in the past, relied only on a mental imagery.

In my talk I will demonstrate how modern computer algebra tool - MuPAD can be used to visualize selected mathematical concepts. I will discuss the object-oriented concept of MuPAD graphical objects; demonstrate its extensive plot library and show how student can use MuPAD virtual camera to experiment with graphical objects.