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Nerdamer.js: Symbolic Operations Introduction

JS Calc integrates Nerdamer.js (specifically, the nerdamer-prime fork) to provide powerful symbolic computation capabilities directly within your browser. When you use specific function keywords (listed in the following sections), your input is processed by Nerdamer's symbolic engine.

How it Works

Commands starting with recognized symbolic function names (e.g., solve(, integrate(, factor() are automatically routed to Nerdamer.js.

  • Input: You type the command using standard mathematical notation, similar to how you would write it on paper or in other computer algebra systems.
  • Parsing: For most functions, Nerdamer's built-in parser interprets your string input. For functions like solveEquations and solveFor, JS Calc includes custom argument parsing to ensure they work correctly with the underlying Nerdamer API.
  • Output: Results are typically returned as Nerdamer's default string representation of the symbolic expression or solution set.

General Notes for Symbolic Operations

  • Symbolic vs. Numerical: Nerdamer aims to provide exact, symbolic answers (e.g., sqrt(2) rather than 1.414..., or a/b rather than a decimal).
  • Assumptions: Unless specified, variables are treated as symbols.
  • Complexity & Performance: Symbolic operations can be computationally intensive. Very complex expressions may take some time to evaluate.
  • Not All Problems Are Solvable Symbolically: While powerful, no CAS can symbolically solve every mathematical problem. You may encounter unevaluated expressions or indications that a symbolic solution couldn't be found for certain types of complex equations (especially transcendental ones).
  • Constants: Mathematical constants like pi and e are recognized by Nerdamer.
  • Content Security Policy (CSP): Due to Chrome Extension Manifest V3 security policies, some extremely complex symbolic operations within Nerdamer (e.g., certain definite integrals of non-elementary functions, or complex Laplace transforms) might be blocked by CSP if they internally use eval-like mechanisms, potentially resulting in an error.

For detailed capabilities beyond the examples provided here, always refer to the official Nerdamer Documentation.

The following pages detail the specific symbolic functions available in JS Calc.