The TI-83 Plus Scientific Calculator: A Durable, Time-Saving, Efficiency-Enhancing Mathematical Aid

For over six years, I have been the proud owner of a TI-83 Plus scientific calculator from Texas Instruments. For one who does higher mathematics problems for several hours every day, the TI-83 Plus is a magnificent aid. It saves time by facilitating quick computations of anything from basic addition to definite integrals of sophisticated functions. Its screen-which can keep many lines of inputs and outputs on it at the same time-is immensely helpful for looking over one's work and revising any prior mistakes with only a few keystrokes. The TI-83 Plus also aids in the visualization of functions and their graphic analysis by allowing one to draw graphs, determine minimum, maximum, and intersection points, and find any given value along a curve.

I have found the "Ans" and "Entry" commands on the TI-83 Plus calculator to be particularly helpful in saving time. The "Ans" command, short for "Answer," allows me to re-use the last answer I got in the next expression I want to type. If my last answer was a messy decimal or irrational number, I need not retype it. Instead of nine or ten keystrokes, I only need two! The "Entry" command can replicate the entire expression entered to obtain the prior answer. If I make a careless error (such as putting a minus sign instead of a plus sign, or integrating over the wrong bounds), I can quickly correct the mistake without having to re-type my original entry.

The TI-83 Plus calculator offers other conveniences as well: it can provide the most useful statistics for one or two random variables-meaning that I do not need to manually calculate means, standard deviations, and variances. As many as ten functions can be stored on the calculator simultaneously under the "Y=" menu-after which each function can be accessed within three to four keystrokes instead of needing to be retyped. If I need to find the sum of the values of y=(ln(x)+7)cos(x)sin(x) at 0, 1, and 2, for example, I can just type in Y₁=(ln(x)+7)cos(x)sin(x) under the "Y=" menu, and then enter Y₁(0)+Y₁(1)+Y₁(2) on the main calculator screen. No need to retype the lengthy, cumbersome function for each value of x!