{"slug": "maxima", "name": "Maxima", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 3, "warners": 0, "score": 2.652, "rising": 0.35, "first": "2025-11-03", "latest": "2026-08-12", "why": "This looks like an open source alternative to Mathematica/MathLab/Maple running in the browser.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "This looks like an open source alternative to Mathematica/MathLab/Maple running in the browser.", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": "sourceforge.io", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://maxima.sourceforge.io", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Maxima"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 772898496, "item_id": 48306156, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48306156", "by": "anthk", "date": "2026-05-28", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "He can use Maxima to locally solve the equations.", "excerpt": "Give him this book, it's pre-University, from the Algebra basics to Calculus. https://biblioteca.empresainteligente.com/resources/biblioteca/archivos/matematicas_basicas_para_el_acceso_a_la_universidad.pdf It's in Spanish, proof based, but not as hard as Spivak. If he is good at programming he must be good at logic and thus if he understands Math as something to apply rules, he we will ace the book. He can use Maxima", "context": "", "use_case": "Symbolic math solver", "switched_from": "", "story": "We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin"}, {"id": 732795489, "item_id": 45799718, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45799718", "by": "phkahler", "date": "2025-11-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "This looks like an open source alternative to Mathematica/MathLab/Maple running in the browser.", "excerpt": ">> This looks like an open source alternative to Mathematica/MathLab/Maple running in the browser. Yes. If you're on Linux try out wxMaxima as a local app. I'm not sure how to get the Windows version of wxMaxima since you end up in some weird sourceforge hell trying to get an installer.", "context": "", "use_case": "Computer algebra in browser", "switched_from": "", "story": "ECL Runs Maxima in a Browser"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["computer algebra", "symbolic math solver", "computer algebra in browser"], "compared": [{"slug": "matlab", "name": "MATLAB", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "wxmaxima", "name": "wxMaxima", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49270040", "title": "Show HN: Woxi - Open-source Mathematica / Wolfram Language reimplementation", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48256733", "title": "We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45796351", "title": "ECL Runs Maxima in a Browser", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 788456067, "item_id": 49278504, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49278504", "by": "adius", "date": "2026-08-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "", "excerpt": "Any help is highly appreciated! A great way to get started would be to open issues for the problems you found at https://github.com/ad-si/Woxi/issues.", "context": "", "use_case": "computer algebra", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Woxi - Open-source Mathematica / Wolfram Language reimplementation"}, {"id": 772898496, "item_id": 48306156, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48306156", "by": "anthk", "date": "2026-05-28", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "He can use Maxima to locally solve the equations.", "excerpt": "Give him this book, it's pre-University, from the Algebra basics to Calculus. https://biblioteca.empresainteligente.com/resources/biblioteca/archivos/matematicas_basicas_para_el_acceso_a_la_universidad.pdf It's in Spanish, proof based, but not as hard as Spivak. If he is good at programming he must be good at logic and thus if he understands Math as something to apply rules, he we will ace the book. He can use Maxima", "context": "", "use_case": "Symbolic math solver", "switched_from": "", "story": "We are Poles, so, of course, we print in Latin"}, {"id": 732795489, "item_id": 45799718, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45799718", "by": "phkahler", "date": "2025-11-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "This looks like an open source alternative to Mathematica/MathLab/Maple running in the browser.", "excerpt": ">> This looks like an open source alternative to Mathematica/MathLab/Maple running in the browser. Yes. If you're on Linux try out wxMaxima as a local app. I'm not sure how to get the Windows version of wxMaxima since you end up in some weird sourceforge hell trying to get an installer.", "context": "", "use_case": "Computer algebra in browser", "switched_from": "", "story": "ECL Runs Maxima in a Browser"}]}