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The Mathematica Guidebooks

Do the GuideBooks run on Version 5?

For which version of Mathematica are the GuideBooks tailored?

The notebooks on the DVDs of the Programming and Graphics GuideBooks were published 2004 and saved in Version 4. They were developed with Version 4, which means they will open in Versions 4 and 5 without annoying dialogs about the fact that the noteboks were created in a newer version of Mathematica. An initialization file, included on each of the DVD, checks which version you're using, and rewrites any Version 4 input for Version 5. Specifically, in Version 5 there were a few important changes in FindRoot, FindMinimum, NIntegrate, and NDSolve. These functions are heavily used in the Numerics and Symbolics volumes, and a little in the Programming volume, so these are the inputs which will be changed.

The Numerics and Symbolics were published end of 2005 and are fully tailored for Version 5.1. The DVDs accompanying each of these two volumes are Version 5.1 notebooks. Each of these two DVDs also contain unevalated versions (meaning no outputs, graphics, and animations, but with all texts, inputs, refrences) of fully updated and Version 5.1 tailored version of all notebooks of the Programming and Graphics volumes.

Please note that the author does not recommend switching back and forth between versions.

Can I run the GuideBooks using a Version 3 Mathematica?

Many inputs will work, but the author strongly recommends upgrading.

What about future versions of Mathematica?

As much as time allows, the author continuously tries to update the notebooks of the GuideBooks to the latest available version of Mathematica.

While not in writing yet, Springer has signalled that they will allow the author to distribute unevaluated versions of the GuideBooks on this website after the next major version of Mathematica becomes available to allow users to work with up-to-date notebooks.