Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms: symbolic algebra
symbolic algebra
the manipulation of mathematical symbols (not just their numerical values). For example, we can calculate that (a + b) × (c + d) = ac + ad + bc + bd without knowing the values of a, b, c, or d.
Symbolic algebra on computers began with the MACSYMA project at MIT in the 1960s. Today, popular symbolic algebra programs for personal computers include MathCad, Maple, Mathematica, and MATLAB. They greatly simplify the formerly tedious process of deriving and manipulating mathematical formulas.
