2026 September 25,

Math 344: Mathematica Nuts and Bolts

Carleton College, Fall 2026, Dr. Joshua R. Davis, , CMC 324, x4095

We use the software Mathematica for doing complicated calculations and for visualizing spaces. Depending on the version that you're using, it might be called Wolfram instead of Mathematica.

Here are the extreme basics of getting a Mathematica notebook up and running on a lab computer. The instructions should also work on your own computer, once you have Mathematica installed.

  1. Open a web browser such as Firefox, Chrome, or Safari.
  2. Go to my web site (www.joshuadavis.us), then Teaching, then Math 344.
  3. Right-click on the notebook that you want. Select "Save Link As..." (in Firefox or Chrome) or "Download Linked File As..." (in Safari), and save the file to Downloads (or wherever you want).
  4. If you're using Chrome, then it has saved the file with the wrong file name extension. Open the Downloads folder in the Finder. Change the file name extension from "crdownload" to "nb", and confirm that choice. (Firefox and Safari do not require this step.)
  5. Double-click the notebook to open it. If this doesn't work, then open the Mathematica/Wolfram application, choose the File menu and then Open..., and open the notebook from there.