ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the built-in Mathematica function "Solve", which finds analytic solutions to algebraic equations. It discusses some Mathematica concepts, most importantly the use of lists. The chapter describes logical expressions and also the use of complex numbers in Mathematica. Probably the most difficult thing to overcome when learning symbolic manipulation programs like Mathematica, is the syntax for the input and output after physicists get past the most basic concepts. A Mathematica list is simply a list of objects, separated by commas and enclosed in braces. Probably the simplest application of a list is to do something to a collection of objects that physicists might do to any one of them. Mathematica provides a number of built-in functions that return pieces of lists. Mathematica can also solve systems of equations. Physicists should consult the Mathematica documentation for more information on simplifying expressions, including the command "FullSimplify".
