# Using Sage for math

This page is about the open-source math software (http://www.sagemath.org), NOT Sage Publications or the SAGE Visualization group.

• If all you want to do is use the web-based notebook, but you do have internet access, you don't have to download anything. Just go to http://www.sagenb.org.
• The Sage website has detailed download/installation directions. In addition, you will probably need to add the path to Sage to your $PATH environment variable after installation. ## Ways to use Sage • The web-based notebook (see above) • If you have downloaded Sage, you have several options: • The interactive shell (type quit or exit when you're done). Useful commands: who, reset(), restore(). Also: tab-autocompletion. • The notebook (if you start the notebook from the interactive shell, type Ctrl-c in the shell after you sign out of the notebook) • Save a .sage file (say, "myfile.sage") and then either • type sage myfile.sage in a terminal window, or • type load('myfile.sage') or attach('myfile.sage') in the Sage interactive shell. Useful commands: attached_files(), detach() • Through Python, by importing Sage as a library ## A few basic examples Note that in Sage, there is usually more than one way to do something. Most of these examples are from Sage Beginner's Guide by Craig Finch, http://www.packtpub.com/sage-beginners-guide/book. A file that you can upload to the Sage notebook: ExamplesForComputingSeries.sws Click to view examples you could use with the interactive shell (type or copy one line at a time) ## R users, watch out! • Sage uses zero-based indexing. That is, if myVector is equal to (10, 20, 30, 40, 50), then myVector[1] is equal to 20, not 10. • If Sage's indexing were otherwise like R's indexing, then in the above example, myVector[0:2] would give you (10, 20, 30). But it doesn't. In Sage, a 'slice' starts with the first element in the specified range and continues up to, but not including, the last element in the named range. So myVector[0:2] gives you (10, 20). • The minus sign in an index means different things in R and Sage. In the above example, myVector[-1] is equal to 50. • In Sage, matrices are defined by row, not by column. • The only assignment operator in Sage is the single equals sign, =. R's symbol <- will not work. • In Sage, exp(2) equals e^2. To get the result you would get in R (a numerical approximation), use exp(2).n() or exp(2).n(digits = 5), etc. • 10/3 in Sage equals 10/3. To get the result you would get in R, use 10.0/3, or 10/3.0, etc. ## Python users, watch out! • ^ in Sage is equivalent to Python's **. (Sage also recognizes **; you can use either one to raise something to a power.) If you want XOR in Sage, see http://www.sagemath.org/doc/faq/faq-usage.html. • 10/3 in Sage equals 10/3. To get an integer quotient, use 10//3. ## Sage and LaTeX var('x x0 theta') var('yhat', latex_name= "$\hat{y}\$")
f(x) = (x + x0)^theta / (2*yhat)
latex(f(x))


## Learning more/getting help

-- LaurieSamuels - 27 Dec 2012
Topic attachments
I Attachment Action Size Date Who Comment
sws ExamplesForComputingSeries.sws manage 84.7 K 11 Jan 2013 - 15:55 LaurieSamuels A Sage notebook file with some basic examples
Topic revision: r9 - 11 Jan 2013, LaurieSamuels

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