--- doc/help/codingmath.tex 2008/09/10 02:12:09 1.1 +++ doc/help/codingmath.tex 2008/09/12 02:22:23 1.2 @@ -21,9 +21,64 @@ symbolic math system is implemented. \$l \subsection{{\tt }-interface} -\input{Math_Response_Problems.tex} +{\tt } is a way to have a problem graded based on an algorithm that is executed inside of a computer algebra system. +The documentation of \LC points out that use of this response type is +generally discouraged, since the responses will not be analyzable by the LON-CAPA statistics tools. Yet, it can be useful. + +Which computer algebra system is to be used is specified in the cas argument of the mathresponse tag; currently, only Maxima is available. +LON-CAPA sets up two arrays inside the computer algebra system: RESPONSE and LONCAPALIST. RESPONSE contains the student input by component, for example, if "3,42,17" is entered, RESPONSE[2] would be 42. LONCAPALIST contains the arguments passed in the args of mathresponse. + +The answerdisplay is what is displayed when the problem is in "Show Answer" mode. + +The following example illustrates this. It is a simplified version of \begin{verbatim} /res/msu/kashy/physicsLib02/02_Math_2_Trig/LinethroughPt2.problem\end{verbatim}. + +\begin{verbatim} + + + + +State a function y(x) which passes through the point ($x, $y) +and which has a constant slope with absolute value > 1.
+ + + + +y(x):=RESPONSE[1]; +thrupoint:is(abs(y(LONCAPALIST[1]) - LONCAPALIST[2]) <= 0.000000001); +islinear:is(diff(y(x),x,2) = 0); +AbsSlopeGT1:is(abs(diff(y(x),x,1)) > 1); +thrupoint and islinear and AbsSlopeGT1; + + +y(x) = + + + + +\end{verbatim} -{\bf a simpler example might be more appriopriate here} \section{Interface to maxima} \LC servers run several maxima sessions in parallel. There is a queue which distributes CAS calls to these sessions. When processing a new CAS call one has to be sure that maxima is reset to some default state. In particular functions, variables etc.\ defined in previous calls should be removed. LON-CAPA automatically takes care of that by means of the following sequence of commands which is executed every time before a maxima code snippet supplied by an author will be executed: \begin{quote} 500 Internal Server Error

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