Re: Maxima by example, volume 2 : Guide to Descriptive Statistics for One-Variable Series

Obviously, R is the essential software for any scientist working with data.
Maxima is not the best tool in this case, and we all agree on that.

So, what interest do we have in using Maxima to handle a few simple
statistical situations?

   1.

   If I only need to do a simple data analysis occasionally, it's easier to
   use a tool I already master rather than learning a new one. This requires a
   lot of time and practice... especially if I don't use it frequently.
   2.

   For my students, they can submit answers in a wxMaxima notebook
   depending on the problems. This allows them to work on several mathematics
   problems across different topics and have all the answers in a single
   document that's easy to use.
   3.

   For students, it's also unnecessary for them to learn R when they're in
   middle school or high school. Mastering Maxima is sufficient for exploring
   various mathematics (or physics) problems during their studies before the
   final high school exam.

In conclusion, the question asked relates to choosing a tool to solve a
problem. Depending on the user's level, the problem's complexity, their
knowledge, and the availability of software tools, the user will choose the
most suitable one. Therefore, Maxima is suitable for handling certain
simple statistical situations, but this depends on the user's experience
and knowledge. The cost of learning a new software must also be considered.

Maxima does not replace highly specialized tools, and this applies to a
large part of mathematical domains, but Maxima is a very good tool.

Have a good day

Michel

Le lun. 20 avr. 2026 à 00:12, David Kirkby via Maxima-discuss <
[email protected]> a écrit :

> On Sun, 19 Apr 2026 at 18:16, Michel Gosse <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>  i have just finished translated in english the volume 2 :
>> Guide to Descriptive Statistics for One-Variable Series
>>
>
> Is Maxima a good tool for statistics? I would have thought R a much better
> tool for that.
>
> Dave.
> _______________________________________________
> Maxima-discuss mailing list
> [email protected]
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