Now you try some things

With the information given above on how to write and execute Mathematica commands, you can now experiment on your own with the concepts demonstrated in this tutorial. You may either use the exercises given below, or try some functions of your own choice. If you need to review some information in the previous sections, just return to the appropriate location (or refer to your booket). Remember, in order to open space to work in a Mathematica window, you must

place the cursor at the top of a clear window or between two cells (get the horizontal cursor) and
click the mouse (a grey line will appear across the window).

You can now begin typing a Mathematica command.

If you do not have time to complete the exercises now and if you wish to exit this tutorial, go back to the section Exiting this tutorial.

Exercises

Define function y = x^3 + 2 x^2 - 15 x - 30. Plot y on several domain intervals to get a good idea of its behavior.
Zoom in on the the largest x-value for which y = 0. Does the function become "almost linear" as you zoom in?
Use the /. Mathematica operator to evaluate y at several values of x.
Define a new rational function, e.g. r = y/(x^4 + 3). Plot r on several domain intervals (for example look for the roots of r) and see what r looks like for "large" values of x. Is r "almost linear" for x large (as was the case with our r discussed earlier)?
Use the Factor command to find exactly the values of x at which y and r equal zero.