geometryexpressions.com

Press Release

From:         Saltire Software

Contact:     Ben Chidlaw

media-info@geometryexpressions.com

(+1) 503 968 6251 ext 110

Embargo: Immediate release

Geometry Expressions – world’s first interactive symbolic geometry system

Saltire Software announces the launch of Geometry Expressions, the world’s first interactive symbolic geometry system.

Geometry Expressions is the missing link between geometry systems and computer algebra systems.

Geometry Expressions, produced by Saltire, reveals the algebra behind the geometry.

 "It’s the first system that does geometry algebraically," says Saltire founder Phil Todd.

Geometry Expressions "allows the transition from using geometry skills to exploring the relationship between algebra and geometry".

Early users have welcomed Geometry Expressions.

 "It helped me solve in an easy way mathematical relations that are long and cumbersome to find by hand, "says Dr Paolo Custodi of Italy.

Prof John Velling, Brooklyn College, USA, says, "the best thing about Geometry Expressions is its ease of use."

Users create geometric models with an easy-to-use drawing tool. The sketches are then constrained using algebraic symbolism.

Geometry Expressions reveals the algebra of the complete geometric model.

 "You may suspect that there is a relationship between lengths, angles," says Phil Todd, "Geometry Expressions lets you generate the relationship algebraically and then explore it."

Saltire’s software is complementary to existing geometry packages: "Current geometry systems don’t allow symbols – those packages are highly useful at doing the geometry, but not at showing the linkages between the geometry and the algebra," says Phil Todd.

Geometry Expressions uses symbolic geometry for its models, compared to the classic straight-edge and compass constructions of existing geometry systems.

For instance, take Pythagoras and a right-triangle as a simple example: In Geometry Expressions, draw a triangle, any triangle. With Geometry Expressions’ constraints button-menu, constrain one angle to be a right-angle. Label the legs of the triangle a and b.

Geometry Expressions fixes the right-angle and reveals the symbolic length of the hypotenuse in terms of a and b.

Flash demo of Pythagoras model: http://geometryexpressions.com/demos/pythag/pythag.html

The engines that drive Geometry Expression’s algebra and geometry are more than a match for the most exacting modelling at advanced college level.

See: http://www.geometryexpressions.com/explorations/explorations.php?path=Circles_and_Triangles%2FArbelos&file=3

Geometry Expressions can also animate its constructions: See: http://geometryexpressions.com/demos/spline/spline.html

Geometry Expressions links with the leading computer algebra systems Mathematica and Maple via MathML.

Geometry Expressions comes with menus and tool-tips in Spanish, French and German as well as English.

Notes to editors:

System requirements: Geometry Expressions is available for Windows 2000 or later. Linux and Macintosh versions will be available later in 2006. It requires a minimum of 256 MB RAM

Pricing: Geometry Expressions can be purchased from http://geometryexpressions.com at $495 for industrial and commercial users, $249 for teachers at all levels of education and $79 for students.

Ends