computer science

MuPAD

MuPAD is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MuPAD rather than just read about it. In short: MuPAD is a computer algebra system (CAS). Originally developed by the MuPAD research group at the University of Paderborn, Germany, development was taken over by the company SciFace Software GmbH & Co.

Key takeaways

MuPAD belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MuPAD to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MuPAD from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MuPAD is a computer algebra system (CAS). Originally developed by the MuPAD research group at the University of Paderborn, Germany, development was taken over by the company SciFace Software GmbH & Co. KG in cooperation with the MuPAD research group and partners from some other universities starting in 1997. MuPAD's graphics package was particularly successful, especially considering the era when it was developed. Until autumn 2005, the version "MuPAD Light" was offered for free for research and education, but as a result of the closure of the home institute of the MuPAD research group, only the version "MuPAD Pro" became available for purchase. The MuPAD kernel is bundled with Scientific Notebook and Scientific Workplace. Former versions of MuPAD Pro were bundled with SciLab. In MathCAD's version 14 release MuPAD was adopted as the CAS engine. In September 2008, SciFace was purchased by MathWorks and the MuPAD code was included in the Symbolic Math Toolbox add-on for MATLAB. On 28 September 2008, MuPAD was withdrawn from the market as a software product in its own right. However, it is still available in the Symbolic Math Toolbox in MATLAB and can also be used as a stand-alone program by the command mupad entered into the MATLAB terminal. The MuPAD notebook feature has been removed in MATLAB R2020a. However, MATLAB's Symbolic Math Toolbox still uses the MuPAD language as part of its underlying computational engine. MATLAB Live Editor is the recommended environment for performing, documenting, and sharing symbolic math computations.

Functionality MuPAD offers:

a computer algebra system to manipulate formulas symbolically; classic and verified numerical analysis in discretionary accuracy; program packages for linear algebra, differential equations, number theory, statistics, and functional programming; an interactive graphic system that supports animations and transparent areas in 3D, and; a programming language that supports object-oriented programming and functional programming. Often used commands are accessible via menus. MuPAD offers a notebook concept similar to word processing systems that allows the formulation of mathematical problems as well as graphics visualization and explanations in formatted text. MuPad does not follow the NIST 4.37 definition for inverse hyperbolic cosine. It is possible to extend MuPAD with C++ routines to accelerate calculations. Java code can also be embedded. MuPAD's syntax was modeled on that of the Pascal programming language, and is similar to the one used in the Maple computer algebra system. An important difference between the two is that MuPAD provides support for object-oriented programming. This means that each object "carries with itself" the methods allowed to be used on it. For example, after defining

all of the following are valid expressions and give the expected result:

where A.A is the concatenated 2×4 matrix, while all others, including the last two, are again 2×2 matrices.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MuPAD

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MuPAD claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MuPAD before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MuPAD ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MuPAD

In research: MuPAD appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MuPAD in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MuPAD is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2008 disestablishments, Computer algebra system software for Linux, Computer algebra systems, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MuPAD outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MuPAD in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MuPAD means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MuPAD out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MuPAD in simple terms?

Why does MuPAD matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MuPAD?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MuPAD.