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Here is an example to illustrate the problem.

  
 > y := SQRT(4);
                                   y := SQRT(4)

To get the square root function, you must use the name "sqrt", because Maple is case sensitive. Other examples of this are:

• use "Pi" rather than "pi" to get 3.141etc
• use "exp(1)" rather than "e" to get 2.718etc
• use "I" rather than "i" to get the square root of minus 1

Also note that, for example, "Int" and "int" are both Maple commands, but work differently.

Here are some examples to illustrate syntax errors.

 > fsolve((1-x)/x^2),x);
 `)` unexpected

In this case, I made a typing error; there is an extra right parenthesis after the "2". Removing it fixes the problem.

 
 > fsolve((1-x)/x^2,x);
                                        1.
 
 > y : = sqrt(4);
 `=` unexpected

In this case, the problem is that the ":=" has a blank separating the ":" and the "=".

 
 > y := sqrt(4);
                                      y := 2
 
 > by:=3;
 `:=` unexpected

In this case, the problem is that the variable name "by" is a word

Here are some examples illustrating this problem

 
 > x:=3;
   ...various other calculations, during which you forget that you
      gave x a value
 > solve(2*x=1,x);
 Error, (in solve) invalid arguments
 
 > plot(2*x,x=-1..1);  No complaint is written out, but the plot is
                       just the line y=6.

Here x already equals 3, so it doesn't make sense to use it in an assertion like "2*x=1", and plotting "2*x" is just plotting "6". Just as the above section shows an example of having too many indeterminates, this example shows what happens when there are too

Here are two correct ways to define functions.

 
 > f:=2-x;           One way is by assigning a formula to a name.
 > plot(f,x=-1..1);  If you use this method you can refer to f,
 > solve(f=0,x);     BUT referring to "f(x)" yields nonsense.
 > f(x);      WRONG      
                                     2 - x(x)
 
 
 > f:=x->x^2;          Another way is by using an arrow. 
 > f(x);               If you use this method you can refer to f(x),
 > f(1);               BUT referring to just "f" only yields "f",
 > plot(f(x),x=-1..1); not the function.
 > solve(f(x)=0,x);