SMath + Maxima - Powerful Tool for Engineering Calculations

SMath Studio is mathematical notebook software similar to Mathcad. Its outstanding and intuitive support for scientific units makes it an invaluable asset in higher engineering education. SMath Studio has been used for more than ten years in various courses at Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany (Technische Hochschule Brandenburg, THB). To enhance the usability of the software, substantial contributions have been made. One of them is the Maxima plugin for access to the free and open-source computer algebra system Maxima. This plugin combines the flexible notebook format of SMath Studio with powerful symbolic functions like integrals and solvers for algebraic and differential equations. Additionally, the plugin adds interactive 3D graphics to SMath. The paper discusses the basic design, features, and limitations, and showcases some applications.