# ​Maple syntax and Formula entry and exponential browsing

• Here is the execution of a question that I decided could accept a Formula  with Text or Symbolic input.

Entering the answer as Text:

Entering the answer using the editor (Symbolic entry):

So perhaps I should restrict to Maple Syntax as the entry mode must be Text OR Symbolic, but not both (Why?).

However,  this is an example of a question randomly generated and some of the instances produced involve the exponential function, and Maple Syntax will not recognize e^x.

The code for grading is evalb(simplify(($ANSWER)-($RESPONSE),symbolic)=0); In the above case even if you removed the symbolic option the graded will be correct for Text entry as there are no bifurcation in simplification.

Another issue is the following (see picture below). You get an inconsistent gradebook. Here a student got the mark for a question but the feedback says the mark is 0.
Students have three attempts at a question with penalties for each incorrect attempt (which  is implemented using the adaptative question system). I suspect that the student did not try to press the verify button, and because of the selection of "Force grading" was used in the test a default grading procedure may have been employed and it has nothing to do with the Maple graded procedure provided in the question(?)

In any case I would not mind imposing just Maple syntax with Text entry only (Formula with Text entry is not available) provided it could allow use of e^x (instead of exp(x)) (which it does when using the Formula option and enter in Text mode!)

I may write a Maple function to transform a Text input by replacing e^XXX with exp(XXX) before marking, but I would assume that this functionality is already provided? Or has anyone a simple solution?

• It seems this is a bug and students should not use symbolic entry. If I enter:

Then I press the sigma icon to see this translated as text entry I get:

I wish I could disable symbolic entry.

• The issue you mentioned with the symbolic editor is likely due to the missing "*" between the "x^8" and the "(".   It is worth mentioning however that, by nature of differences between interpretations between symbolic and text entry, I tend to gravitate to Maple-Graded responses and force one of the entry modes.

• try using "\$RESPONSE" as the correct answer in a Maple-Graded (symbolic entry) and it will give you an idea on what was interpreted vs what was typed in.

• @mschneider

Thank you for this reply. I quite like the text entry mode for formulas as it enables to simplify the input, i.e. not needing multiply signs (students grumble about having to write 3*x instead of 3x if I impose Maple entry) and using e for exponential. However in this case I cannot disable the symbolic entry (I really do not know why they decided to do that).

• @mschneider

You are correct the missing * (typing * produces a dot in symbolic mode) is what the problem was. However, this is a bit of an issue, not only because a multiply should not be necessary but also because if I go the other way round I get:

Step1: Input in text mode:

Step2: Press the Sigma button you get

Step 3: Press the Sigma button again you get:

Step4: Press the sigma button again you get

A cycle is reached. What you get at Step 2 seems to be what you can produce yourself using the symbolic mode. However, as you mentioned you need to introduce a multiply sign but...there is no multiply sign (at least a visible sign) in the step 2 interface. Curiouser and curiouser.

• I tend to use Maple-Graded, forcing students to use the symbolic entry.  I also include in the grading code a self-authored syntax checker, that automatically places *'s in for the student.  So when they write "3x" it automatically gets interpreted at "3*x", "xy" automatically gets interpreted as "x*y".

• @mschneider Thank you for that. You would not have to do it if Mobius allowed to select text entry ONLY, for formulas. Why they do not allow it is a mystery to me.

• @Pierre  I could not agree more, it would be fairly simple HTMl for them to allow the instructor to force, either Text Or Symbolic (in the same way one can force students with the Maple-Graded response type).