ARCHIVED: When I type sin(3), why does Maple echo this back instead of evaluating it?

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If you type sin(3), Maple echoes it back instead of evaluating it because sin(3) does not simplify symbolically. You can obtain a floating-point solution by using the evalf() function:

  > sin(3);
                        sin(3)
  > evalf(sin(3));
                        .1411200081

Another way to get a floating-point solution is to call sin on 3.0, which is a floating-point number in Maple syntax, rather than on 3, which is an integer.

  > sin(3.0);
                        .1411200081

For more about Maple, see the UITS Research Analytics Maple page.

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