# Getting Started This getting started describes how to install, load, and use math.js. ## Install Math.js can be installed using various package managers like [npm](https://npmjs.org/) and [bower](http://bower.io/), or by just downloading the library from the website: [http://mathjs.org/download.html](http://mathjs.org/download.html). To install via npm, run: npm install mathjs Other ways to install math.js are described on the [website](http://mathjs.org/download.html). ## Load Math.js can be used in node.js and in the browser. The library must be loaded and instantiated. When creating an instance, one can optionally provide configuration options as described in [Configuration](configuration.md). ### Node.js Load math.js in [node.js](http://nodejs.org/): ```js // load math.js var math = require('mathjs'); // use math.js math.sqrt(-4); // 2i ``` ### Browser Math.js can be loaded as a regular JavaScript file in the browser, use the global variable `math` to access the libary once loaded: ```html
``` If support for old browsers (Internet Explorer 8 and older) is required, the [es5-shim](https://github.com/kriskowal/es5-shim) library must be loaded as well. ### Require.js Load math.js in the browser using [require.js](http://requirejs.org/): ```js require.config({ paths: { mathjs: 'path/to/mathjs', } }); require(['mathjs'], function (math) { // use math.js math.sqrt(-4); // 2i }); ``` ## Use Math.js can be used similar to JavaScript's built-in Math library. Besides that, math.js can evaluate expressions (see [Expressions](expressions/index.md)) and supports chaining (see [Chaining](chaining.md)). The example code below shows how to use math.js. More examples can be found in the section [Examples](http://mathjs.org/examples/index.html). ```js // functions and constants math.round(math.e, 3); // 2.718 math.atan2(3, -3) / math.pi; // 0.75 math.log(10000, 10); // 4 math.sqrt(-4); // 2i math.pow([[-1, 2], [3, 1]], 2); // [[7, 0], [0, 7]] // expressions math.eval('12 / (2.3 + 0.7)'); // 4 math.eval('12.7 cm to inch'); // 5 inch math.eval('sin(45 deg) ^ 2'); // 0.5 math.eval('9 / 3 + 2i'); // 3 + 2i math.eval('det([-1, 2; 3, 1])'); // -7 // chained operations math.chain(3) .add(4) .multiply(2) .done(); // 14 ``` ## Next To learn more about math.js, check out the available documentation and examples: - [Documentation](index.md) - [Examples](http://mathjs.org/examples/index.html)