University of Houston math contests

[DavidM]

(07-12-2019 04:41 PM)telemachos Wrote:  ...
I think this makes the best use of the HP-50g's capabilities:

Input:

{ [–6.94 –1.2] [–5.16 3.84] [3.4 2.18] [2.46 –6.72] }
...

Getting the data into that format could be an awkward exercise if attempting to enter it directly from the calculator's keyboard. It's very close, though, to the format that would exist if you used the built-in MatrixWriter to create it:

Code:

[[–6.94 –1.2] [–5.16 3.84] [3.4 2.18] [2.46 –6.72]]

On both the 48GX and the 50g, the following two commands will convert a matrix created by the MatrixWriter to a "list of vectors" format compatible with the given shoelace programs in this thread:

Code:

→ROW →LIST

I find the MatrixWriter to be convenient for this type of data entry (as well as maintenance). Judicious use of the various array commands (and AXL on the 50g) can often help to transform an array to a wide variety of useful formats.