Using Palettes

Palettes allow you to input special characters and mathematical notation; they are like extensions to your keyboard. Some palettes also do evaluations.

If the Basic Input palette is not open, choose it with File Palettes BasicInput.

The Basic Input palette

To enter a Greek letter:

Click the button on the palette to place an in the notebook. Click the button to place a .

To enter and evaluate an integral:

1. Click the integral button on the palette to insert an integral template. The first placeholder box is selected, indicating where text will be placed.

2. Fill in the integrand by typing Tan[x]. Press to move to the next placeholder box and fill in the variable of integration x.
3. Press to have Mathematica evaluate the integral.

For more information
Input in notebooks: The Mathematica Book, Sections 1.10.1 and 1.10.2.
Special characters: The Mathematica Book, Sections 1.10.2 and 3.10.1.
Creating your own palettes: The Mathematica Book, Section 1.10.12.

To do some algebraic manipulation:

1. Choose File Palettes Algebraic Manipulation.
2. Drag the cursor over the output to select it.

3. Click the ComplexExpand[] button.

The selected text replaces the black placeholder box . A new input cell is created to preserve the old output.

4. The input is automatically evaluated. Notice that a separate cell is not created; the output replaces the input. This is referred to as "evaluating in place."

TIPS
You can also enter subscripts and many other common mathematical symbols using palettes.
To open other palettes, choose File Palettes.
Pressing selects placeholder boxes cyclically until you have filled them all in.
The arrangement of open palettes is preserved from one Mathematica session to the next.
Integrals like (a + x) x require parentheses, as in standard mathematical notation.