Distribution¶

Sage was initially created by William Stein in 2004--2005, using open source programs released under the GPL or a GPL-compatible license. The main goal of the project was to create a viable open source alternative to proprietary mathematical software to be used for research and teaching. The first release of the program was in February 2005. By the end of the year, Sage included Pari/GP, GAP, and Singular libraries as standard and worked as a common interface to other mathematical programs similar to Mathematica and Maple.

There are two ways in which Sage can be distributed. One is as a "regular" OS X, Windows and/or Linux application named something like Sage-VERSION. This version needs to be downloaded and installed in your machine. Although it's a Desktop application, the software opens in your primary browser acting as a native webapp. The binaries can be downloaded in the following links:

For MAC OS X - http://www.sagemath.org/download-mac.html
For LINUX - https://www.sagemath.org/download-linux.html
For WINDOWS - https://www.sagemath.org/download-windows.html
Sage can also be downloaded from conda-forge: - http://doc.sagemath.org/html/en/installation/conda.html

Although the desktop version has the advantage of working offline, the best choice is to use the online version, which is more user friendly and can store work in the cloud. The cloud version can be accessed in the following link:

https://cloud.sagemath.com/

1) Access the link:
https://cloud.sagemath.com/

2) Will be presented to you a login page in which you have to create an account
with login and password.

3) Create your account.

4) Once you created your account, log in with your username and password.

Both desktop and cloud versions will open in your default browser. Although, with the cloud version you can use Sage, R, Octave, Python, Cython, GAP, Macaulay2,
Singular, and much more. You can edit documents with inverse and forward search, and Sage mode. Collaboratively edit IPython notebooks, Sage worksheets, and all
other document types Write, compile, and run code in most programming languages and also use command line terminals.

One of the strengths of Sage is that it can be used over the network without requiring any installation of the application.
The Sage Notebook is a web browser-based graphical user interface for Sage. It allows writing and running code, displaying
embedded two and three dimensional plots, and organizing and sharing data with other users. The Sage Notebook works with
most web browsers without the need for additional add-ons or extensions. However, Java is required to run Jmol, the Java
applet used in Sage to plot 3D objects.

In addition to these main options, Sage can be applied in alternative ways. For instance, a single cell containing Sage code can be embedded
in any webpage and evaluated using a public single cell server. There is also support to embed Sage code and graphics in LaTeX documents
using Sagetex.

1) For you to use Sage, first you have to create a new project.

2) Once you've created the new project and given a name and description, you will create a new Sage file. Once you created the .sagews file, your're all set! Just start using Sage.

3) You execute commands by pressing Shif+Enter (simultaneously).

Installation

Steps to download

1. Google sage math
2. Click on sage math link and find tab on top that says download
3. Then click tab that describes your PC(ex: Windows, Mac etc)
4. Next click on “MIT, Cambridge, MA,USA”
   You should be brought to a page with a lot of files, download the most recent file. Should be the 2021 version.
5. Next download the program and it should show up on your desktop
6. For the program to be accessible on cloud, move program into G drive on PC, so it can be accessible on any laptop when you log in

Case Sensitivity¶

Sage is case sensitive for both variables can be defined and for commands. The variable "a" (lower case) is different from "A" (upper case). You will know if the command that you enter is correct because the color of the command will change to black. The irartional constant Pi (=3.141926...) can be entered either as pi or, its numerical value float(pi), which gives output: 3.141592653589793.
One of the key aspects of using Sage is knowing how to enter a command. Once you have typed the command, then hit shift-enter.

 

Basic Arithmetic Operations¶

The goal of this document is not to teach you numerical analysis, but to explain how to express your ideas in Sage. By numerical computation, we essentially mean machine precision floating point computations.

Type in the first cell, hold the shift key down, and press the enter key.

sage: a=1

You may be surprised that nothing appeared to happen. In fact, the value 1 was assigned to the variable a, but this result was not echoed. Repeat on the cell below; click on the cell, then use "shift-enter" or click on "evaluate". So if you type

sage: a

Sage will provide you the numerical value: 1. Similarly,

sage: b=2; b

This time the value 2 was assigned to b and then the value of b was echoed. The semicolon is used to separate commands appearing on the same line. The same thing could be done by typing "b=2", pressing enter, typing "b".

Feel free to use whichever of these approaches is most comfortable to you.

You may type more than one command in a window by placing semicolons between them.

sage: 2+3/5; 34*18-33
3/5
579

The underscore character refers to the previous result.

sage: factor(_) 
3 * 193

 

Standard Functions¶

Familiar from calculus functions such as exponential and power functions as well as many others are built-in into sage. For example, the square root and greatest common division are among them:

sage:  sqrt(a)
sage:  gcd(b)

The function exp(x) is an alternate form of e^x

sage: e^2; exp(2) 
e^2

However, to use any function, one need first to define an intependent variable or variables. It can ve done as follows:

sage:  x1 = var('x1'); x1
x1
sage:  a, b, c = var('a, b, c ')

or just

sage: var('a, b, c ') 

Logarithm function

The absolute value function is denote by abs. Some examples:

sage:  abs(pi*I)
pi
sage: abs(log(1/3))
-log(1/3)

The binomial coefficient

 

Numerical Evaluations¶

To echo a floating point number, you have to use the float() function with the
variable you assigned the expression or fraction.

sage: b=2/3
sage: float(b)
0.6666666666666666

We can evaluate trigonometric expressions with numerical entries. For instance:

 

sage: q = cos(2*pi/50)
sage: numerical_approx(q))
0.992114701314478
sage: q.n()
0.992114701314478
sage: q.n(prec=100) # bits
0.99211470131447783104979304279
sage: q.n(digits=50) # decimal digits
sage: n(q)
0.992114701314478
sage: N(q)
0.992114701314478
sage: RealField(100) # Real Field with 100 bits of precision
sage: RealField(100)(q)
0.99211470131447783104979304279
sage: RR  # Real Field with 53 bits of precisio
sage: RR(q)
0.992114701314478
sage: RealField(100)  # Real Field with 100 bits of precision
0.99211470131447783104979304279

Sage is using simple arithmetic expressions using “+”, “−”, “∗”, and “∕” as for instance,

sage: a=2/pi*sqrt(3)
sage: RealField(100)(a)
1.1026577908435840990226529966

The solve function solves equations. To use it, first specify some variables; then the arguments to solve are an equation (or a system of equations), together with the variables for which to solve:

sage: u = var('u')
sage: diff(sin(u), u)
cos(u)

 

Some Numbers¶

Sage understands π, e, and i or j (the square of j is −1).

sage: 3*pi; n(_); n(e); I^2
3*pi
9.42477796076938
2.71828182845905
-1

Sage knows some famous numbers. For instance, the golden ratio \( \phi = \dfrac{1 + \sqrt{5}}{2} \approx 1.618\) can be invoked as follows

sage: R = RealField(n) #n is the number of decimal places you want
sage: R
sage: R(golden_ratio)

For example,

sage: R = RealField(16)
sage: R
Real Field with 16 bits of precision
sage: R(golden_ratio)
1.618
sage: R = RealField(50)
sage: R(golden_ratio)
1.6180339887499

The binomial coefficient

\[ \binom{x}{k} = x(x-1)(x-2) \cdots (x-k+1)/k! \]

is defined for arbitrary x and non-negative integer k. The expression in the numerator is called falling factorial and denoted as

\[ x^{\underline{k}} = x(x-1)(x-2) \cdots (x-k+1) . \]

sage: n=var('n')
sage: binomial(n, 2)
1/2*(n-1)*n
sage: binomial(5, 2)
10

 

Multinomial coefficients \( \binom{n}{a,b,c,\ldots} = \dfrac{n!}{a! \,b! \,c!\, \cdots} , \quad n=a+b+c+\cdots ,\) (and in particular, binomial coefficients \( \binom{n}{a} = \dfrac{n!}{a! \,(n-a)!} \) ) can be evaluated using the factorial operator. For instance, multinomial coefficient \( \binom{213}{14\,26\,43\, 53\, 77} \) is divisible by 2^(13), but not divisible by 2^(14):

sage: (factorial(213)/(factorial(14)*factorial(26)*factorial(43)*factorial(53)*factorial(77)))/(2^13)
93363309484444679588239580775138831058136467706688777059897484314845545215474470906701382347877254311222104806441347873998876875

 

Complex Numbers¶

sage: z = complex(-3,4);
sage: z
(-3+4j)
sage: real(z)
-3.0
sage: imag(z)
4.0
sage: abs(z)
5.0
sage: arg(z)
(2.214297435588181+0j)
sage: conjugate(z)
(-3-4j)
sage: z1 = complex(-3,4);
sage: z1
(-3+4j)
sage: z2=z1*i;
sage: z2
(-4-3j)
sage: a = arrow((0,0),(real(z1),imag(z1)))
sage: a
sage: plot(a)

sage: b = arrow((0,0),(real(z2),imag(z2)))
sage: b
sage: plot(b)

sage: plot(a+b)

sage: z = 1+i
sage: a = arg(z)
sage: a
1/4*pi
sage: b = abs(z)
sage: b
sqrt(2)
sage: c = abs(z)*e^(I*(arg(z)));
sage: c
sqrt(2)*e^(1/4*I*pi)
sage: simplify(c)
I + 1
sage: sqrt(-8,all=true)
[2*sqrt(-2), -2*sqrt(-2)]
sage: solve( x^3 == -8, x )
[x == I*sqrt(3)*(-1)^(1/3) - (-1)^(1/3), x == -I*sqrt(3)*(-1)^(1/3) - (-1)^(1/3), x == 2*(-1)^(1/3)]

Functions

I. How to define functions

There are several ways to define things which might deserve to be called “functions”. If one just start

sage: def f(z): return z^2
sage: type(f)
type 'function'
sage: f(2)
4
sage: plot(f,0 2)
Graphics object consisting of 1 graphic primitive

As you see, this function can be plotted, but not differentiated or integrated because z is a dummy variable. It can be fixed by typing:

sage: var('z') # define z to be a variable
z
sage: f(z)
z^2
sage: plot(f(z),0 2)
Graphics object consisting of 1 graphic primitive

Another way is to define a “callable symbolic expression”. These can be plotted, differentiated, and integrated. To define a function, just type in the formula. There are some examples.

sage: f(x)=(cos(x)-1)/x^2
# f(x) is now defined and values can be passed
sage: f(3)
1/9*cos(3) - 1/9
sage: f(pi)
-2/pi^2
sage: f(pi).n()  # numerically evaluate 
-0.202642367284676
sage: type(f)
type 'sage.symbolic.expression.Expression'

Symbolic variables must be defined as such

sage: var('a b')
(a, b)
sage: f(a+b)
(cos(a + b) - 1)/(a + b)^2

Simple example of constructing useful 2D function plot:

sage: f(x).plot()

# plot(function, (starting x pass to function, ending x pass to function), ymin = graphical range min, ymax = graphical range max
sage: plot(f(x), (-2*pi, 2*pi),ymin = -1, ymax = 1)

 

 

II. Built-in special functions

 

There are many functions, including special functions, that are available in Sage. We start with ceiling and floor functions that are denoted by

\[ \lceil x \rceil \qquad\mbox{and} \qquad \lfloor x \rfloor , \]

respectively. Here x is an arbitrary real number.

sage: ceil(sin(8)/sin(2))
2
sage: ceil(5.37)
6

The error function, defined for real values of x, as

\[ \mbox{erf}(x) = \frac{2}{\sqrt{\pi}}\, \int_0^x e^{-t^2}\,{\text d}t . \]

This function is also defined for complex values, via analytic continuation.

sage: erf(2)
erf(2)
sage: erf(2).n()
 0.995322265018953
sage: erf(2).n(100)
 0.99532226501895273416206925637

 

III. Discontinuous functions

 

To define a discontinous function, intervals must be continuos and individually discrete i.e., intervals must connect to next but must be over a defined interval; variable definition is optional.

sage: f1 = x^2
sage: f2 = 4-x
sage: f = piecewise([[(0,2),f1],[(2,4),f2]], x)
# examples
sage: f(1)
1
sage: f(2.5)
1.50000000000000
sage: f(1.5)
2.25000000000000
#important note!!!!!
sage: f(2)
3
#function at the interval junction returns (f1(2)+f2(2))/2, true for all junctions

Plot of piecewise function

sage: f.plot()

A derivative of a peicewise continuous function returns derivative of pieces

sage: f.derivative()
Piecewise defined function with 2 parts, [[(0, 2), x |--> 2*x], [(2, 4), x |--> -1]]

Usefule attributes

# Critical points only defined over individual functions, does not include interval points

sage: f.critical_points()
[]

sage: f.domain()
(0, 4)
sage: f.intervals()
[(0, 2), (2, 4)]
sage: f.end_points()
[0, 2, 4]
sage: f.which_function(1)
x |--> x^2
sage: f.which_function(3)
x |--> -x + 4

  

 

References

1. Hampton, M., Sage Interaction -- Differential equations.
2. Joyner, D. and Hampton, M. Introductory Differential equations using Sage, 2011.
3. Zimmermann, O., et al, Computational Mathematics with SageMath, 2018.

Return to Sage page for the second course (APMA0340)

Return to the main page (APMA0330)
Return to the Part 1 (Plotting)
Return to the Part 2 (First order ODEs)
Return to the Part 3 (Numerical Methods)
Return to the Part 4 (Second and Higher Order ODEs)
Return to the Part 5 (Series and Recurrences)
Return to the Part 6 (Laplace Transform)
Return to the Part 7 (Boundary Value Problems)