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Using the Exploration Assistant
Go to Maple Portal Maple Portal for Math Educators
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Introduction
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The Exploration Assistant allows users to instantly create interactive mini-applications, which can be used to explore the parameters of any arbitrary Maple expression, such as a plot, mathematical equation or command. With these applications, you can use sliders to change the values of the parameters and see instant results.
How To Do It
There are two ways you can use the Exploration Assistant; either by right-clicking and selecting Explore from the context-sensitive menus, or by calling the Explore command.
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Exploration of a 3-D Plot
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Using the Context Menu
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Enter the expression 
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Tip: You can use the Expression palette to insert the integral.
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Right-click on the expression and select Explore. A new dialog box will appear. From here, you can set the range of values you would like to explore, as well as select which variables you would like to skip. When you select skip, that parameter remains as a symbolic unknown in the expression; no slider will be created to control that value.
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Enter -5 for the lower values of a and b, and 5 for the upper values. Next to the variable x, check the skip box. This will now leave the variable x unchanged in the expression. When you are finished, press Explore.
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A new Exploration Assistant document will open with the expression and sliders for the indeterminates a and b. Move the sliders back and forth to see how they change the solution.
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Final Exploration Assistant Document
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You can now save the assistant for future use by going to File>Save.
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Tip: You can explore the simplified result by entering the expression as  . Without pressing enter, right-click on the expression and select Explore.
Tip: You can add text to your document by adding a new text region(Insert menu >Text).
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Using the Explore Command
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You can just as easily use the Exploration Assistant by using the Explore command, which takes as its argument the Maple expression to be explored.
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Enter the expression  and press [Enter].
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In the dialog that appears, enter 1 in for the lower value of n. Next to the variables x and y check the skip box on the right, this will keep these variables in the solution. When you are finished, press Explore.
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A new Exploration Assistant document will open with the expression and a slider for n. Move the slider back and forth to see how it changes the expansion.
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You can now save the assistant for future use with File>Save.
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More Examples
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Exploring a Series Expansion
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Enter the expression 
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Right-click on the expression and select Explore.
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When the input screen appears, enter 1 in for the lower end of n. Next to the variable x check the skip box on the right, this will keep the variable x in the solution. When you are finished, press Explore.
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A new document will open with the expression and a slider for n. Move the slider back and forth to see its effect on the expression.
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Tip: When you are entering value ranges for the variables you would like to explore, be sure they are mathematically acceptable (e.g. avoid causing a value of zero in the denominator).
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Exploring an Integral Numerically
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Enter the expression  .
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Right-click on the expression and select Explore.
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Use the default ranges for a and b. To see numerical (rather than symbolic) results, select the check box for floating-point computation. When you are finished, press Explore.
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A new document will open with the expression and sliders for a and b. Move the slider back and forth to see its effect on the computation.
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Tip: You can control whether the sliders vary through decimal values or only integer values. When you are entering value ranges for the variables you would like to explore, if you enter the endpoints using decimals (such as 10.0 instead of 10), then the corresponding slider will explore decimal values.
For more details on floating-point computation and the other options for the Exploration Assistant, see the Explore help page.
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Exploring a 2-D Plot
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Enter the command 
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Right-click on the expression and select Explore. A new window will appear.
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Enter 1 for the lower end of a and b. When you are finished, press Explore.
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A new Exploration Assistant document will open with a plot area and sliders for a and b. Move the sliders back and forth to see their effects on the plot.
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Tip: If you are going to explore a 2-D plot it is not necessary to define the range for x . However, if you do not define x then you must select skip for x. Default values will then be used for the range.
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Exploration of a 2-D Plot
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Exploring a 3-D Plot
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Enter the command 
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Right-click on the expression and select Explore. A new window will appear.
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Enter -5 for the lower end of a, and 5 for the upper end. Next to the variables x and y, select skip. When you are finished, press Explore.
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A new Exploration Assistant document will open with a plot area and slider for a. Move the slider back and forth to see its effect on the plot.
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Exploration of a 3-D Plot
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Go to Maple Portal Maple Portal for Math Educators
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