The third edition of Getting Started with Maple was released by John Wiley & Sons in March 2009.

The author team for this edition is:

• Douglas B. Meade (Univ of S. Carolina)
• Mike May, S.J. (St. Louis Univ)
• C-K. Cheung (Boston Univ)
• G.E. Keogh (Boston Univ)

The 13-digit ISBN is 978-0-470-45554-8.

Additional information can be found at the following links:

• Book homepage: http://he-cda.wiley.com/WileyCDA/HigherEdTitle/productCd-0470455543.html
• Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470455543
• Worksheets and errata: http://math.slu.edu/~may/Maple-GettingStarted3.html

From the Preface:

Using this Guide

The purpose of this guide is to give a quick introduction on how to use Maple. It primarily covers Maple 12 and 13, although most of the guide will work with earlier versions of Maple. Also, throughout this guide, we will be suggesting tips and diagnosing common problems that users are likely to encounter. This should make the learning process smoother. 

This guide is designed as a self-study tutorial to learn Maple. Our emphasis is on getting you quickly “up to speed.” This guide can also be used as a supplement (or reference) for students taking a mathematics (or science) course that requires use of Maple, such as Calculus, Multivariable Calculus, Advanced Calculus, Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, Modeling, or Statistics.

Maple is computer algebra software developed by Maplesoft, a division of Waterloo Maple Inc. This software lets you use the computer like an interactive mathematics scratchpad. Maple can perform symbolic computation as well as numerical computation, graphics, programming and so on. It is a useful tool not only for an undergraduate mathematics or science major, but also for graduate students, faculty, and researchers. The program is widely used as well by engineers, physicists, economists, transportation officials, and architects.

Organization of the Guide

The Guide is organized as follows:

•    Chapter 1 gives a short demonstration of what you’ll see in the remaining parts of the Guide. Chapters 2 through 11 contain the basic information that almost every user of Maple should know.

•     Chapters 12 through 15 demonstrate Maple’s capabilities for single-variable calculus. This includes working with derivatives, integrals, series and differential equations.

•     Chapters 16 through 21 cover topics of multivariable calculus.  Here you’ll find the discussion focusing on partial derivatives, multiple integrals, vectors, vector fields, and line and surface integrals.

•     Chapters 22 and 23 introduce the statistical capabilities of Maple.

•    Chapters 24 through 27 address a collection of topics ranging from animation and simulation to programming, and list processing.

•     Two appendices explain how to learn more about Calculus and a quick reference guide.

Chapter Structure

Each chapter of the Guide has been structured around an area of undergraduate mathematics. Each moves quickly to define relevant commands, address their syntax, and provide basic examples.

Every chapter ends with as many as three special sections that can be passed over during your first reading. However, these sections will provide valuable support when you start asking questions and looking for more detail. These three sections are:

·        More Examples
Here, you’ll find more technical examples or items that address more mathematical points.

·        Useful Tips
This section contains some simple pointers that all Maple users eventually learn. We’ve drawn them from our experiences in teaching undergraduates how to use Maple.

·        Troubleshooting Q & A
Here we present a question and answer dialogue on common problems and error messages. You'll also be able to find out how certain commands work or what they assume you know in using them. Many useful tips are covered