In this notebook we will look at how you as the user can create your own functions in Mathematica. Some of your work may remind you of the work you did back in the Variables notebook when you learned the differences between immediate and delayed assignment, (i.e. the differences between = and :=). In fact, if you're still a little confused on these issues it might pay you to go back there now, and review them.
Note: In order to see exactly how functions behave we're going to begin the notebook by making some deliberate mistakes. Don't panic if you generate an error message, or an answer that seems incorrect--read on to the next question. Unless you managed to create a brand new mistake of your own, you should find an explanation following each of these little difficulties.
Remember, as we said in the introduction to the first notebook, in order to tell Mathematica that you want it to actually evaluate what you have typed, hit the ENTER key over on the extreme right side of your keyboard on the numeric keypad. Again, don't confuse this with the RETURN key, which merely starts a new line of text.
You can now switch to the actual Mathematica practice notebook by
clicking on the button at left. It will take a while to start up! Don't forget to come back
here when you're done by using the Applications menu! (You can also use this
menu just to come back here to reread the instructions.) See you in a few
minutes.
Welcome back! Hopefully everything went well. You may now go to the Table of Contents for the Mathematica Basics Labs, or simply quit.