Graphing Calculator HD

Userʼs Guide

© 2010 by Gabor Nagy

Contents

1. Getting Oriented" 4
1.1 Rotate! 4

1.2 Zooming! 4

1.3 Panning! 5

2. Toolbar Menu" 6
2.1 Calculator! 7

2.2 Equations! 8

2.3 Table! 9

2.4 Settings! 10

2.5 Help! 13

2.6 Radian/Degree! 13

2.7 Reset Grid! 13

2.8 Export! 13

2.9 Trace! 14

i. Tracing in Function Mode! 14

ii. Tracing in Polar/Parametric Mode! 15

2.10 Mode! 16

i. Function Mode! 16

ii. Parametric Mode! 16

iii. Polar Mode! 17

3. Keyboard" 18
3.1 Right section! 18

3.2 Middle section! 19

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 3.3 Left Section! 20

4. Video Output" 24

5. Frequently Asked Questions" 25

Q1: I can't figure out how to graph anything. Can you help?! 25

Q2: The trigonometric functions don't return the correct answer.! 25

Q3: How do I square numbers or use exponents?! 25

Q4: How do I email my graph?! 25

Q5: How can I calculate the inverse of log?! 26

Q6: How do you change the base of the log function to something other
than 2 and 10?! 26

Q7: How can I create a random integer list?! 26

Q8: How do I graph a single point or a set of points?! 26

6. Legal Notices " 27

3
1. Getting Oriented
1.1 Rotate

You can use ʻGraphing Calculator HDʼ in portrait or landscape modes. Portrait is ideal
for reading this help document.

Landscape Portrait

1.2 Zooming

On the graph view, you can zoom in or out by pinching the screen with two fingers.

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1.3 Panning

On most views, you can pan the screen or portions of the screen by dragging one finger
on the screen. This is how you can scroll around in this help document.

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2. Toolbar Menu
This chapter introduces you to the toolbar menu. When the graphing calculator is
started, the first screen you will see is the graph view with a toolbar at the top. This
toolbar is the main navigation tool for the application.

This is what you should see when you first start the application.

The toolbar has ten buttons separated into two sections. The first five buttons load up a
new view on top of the graph view, while the other five buttons are short cuts to certain
settings or operations on the graph view.

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2.1 Calculator

The calculator button opens up the built in scientific calculator. It has an easy to use
command line interface, and a calculator history you can scroll through. The history
section allows you to make changes to calculations you made in the past.

The calculator screen has a custom keyboard that makes entering in mathematical
expressions faster than using the default iPad keyboard. Please read about the
keyboardʼs features under the keyboard chapter.

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2.2 Equations

The equations button opens up the equation editor, which allows you to define up to
four equations for each graph mode. If the graph or table screens get too cluttered, you
can turn equations off without having to clear them using the boolean (ON/OFF)
switches.

The equations screen has a custom keyboard that makes entering in mathematical
equations faster than using the default iPad keyboard. Please read about the
keyboardʼs features under the keyboard chapter.

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2.3 Table

The table view evaluates your equations one hundred times and displays them in a
table. The first row has all equations evaluated at your selected starting value of x. It is
than incremented by a constant amount for each row. To adjust the table start value or
the increment, go to the settings page and scroll to the very bottom.

Note that depending on the selected graph mode, a different set of functions are
displayed. The table view will adjust itself when switched to polar and parametric
modes.

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2.4 Settings

Use the settings button to open the settings page, which lets you control the following:

Global Settings Description

Angle The angle option lets you switch between radian and degree
modes.

Display digits Display digits controls the number of digits printed after the
decimal point on the calculator and table pages.

Graph mode Graph mode allows you to switch the application between
function, polar, and parametric graphing modes.

Sound effects The sound effects option lets you turn off the keyboardʼs click
sound, which can be annoying if you are listening to music while
using the calculator.

Keyboard layout The Keyboard layout option can be used to move the number
pad to the left-side of the keyboard to better suit left-handed
users. This makes it easier to see the other buttons while
entering numbers.

Graph Settings Description

Zoom mode The zoom mode option can be used to adjust how the pinch
zoom behaves. It allows you to zoom just the x or just the y axis.
In addition, there is a proportional zoom mode that prevents you
from changing the graphʼs aspect ratio while zooming in or out.

X Min, X Max Use these variables to resize the graphʼs grid.

Y Min, Y Max
This can also be achieved by pinching and dragging the graph
screen. In addition, you can reset the grid to the defaults using
the reset grid button on the toolbar.

Background color The background color option lets you change the colors used by
the graph.

This might be useful if you want to e-mail a graph to yourself to

be used in a report. Setting the background to white will end up
using less ink or toner if you are printing the report.

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 Graph Settings Description

Draw while The draw while touching option can be used to disable rendering
touching the functions while zooming and panning on the graph view.

This can be useful if you have entered a few particularly slow

functions and the animation is jerky.

Table Settings Description

Table Start Lets you adjust the tableʼs start value. This is the value where the
functions are evaluated for the first row of the table.

Table Increment Lets you adjust the tableʼs increment value. This is the constant
increment for each table row.

The following settings are only available in parametric graph mode:

Parametric Description
Graph Settings

T Min Lets you adjust the starting value of the parameter.

T Max Lets you adjust the end value of the parameter.

If you are graphing a circle in polar mode, you don’t need to go

beyond 2 * pi. Going much further will result in a slower and less
accurate graph, which is why adjusting this value is important
depending on the equation you are graphing.

The following settings are only available in polar graph mode:

Polar Graph Description

Settings

θ Min Letʼs you adjust the starting value of θ.

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 Polar Graph Description
Settings

θ Max Letʼs you adjust the ending value of θ.

If you are graphing a circle in polar mode, you don’t need to go

beyond 2 * pi. Going much further will result in a slower and less
accurate graph, which is why adjusting this value is important
depending on the equation you are graphing.

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2.5 Help

The help button opens up and displays this userʼs guide.

Do you need more help? Do you have a question that is not answered by this
document? There is an e-mail support button at the top left corner of the help page,
which you may use to contact me. Please let me know if you find bugs or if you have
any suggestions for future versions of the application.

2.6 Radian/Degree

Use the radian/degree button to toggle between radian and degree modes. This setting
affects all of the trigonometric functions. The name of the button will change to indicate
the currently selected angle mode.

2.7 Reset Grid

The reset grid button simply resets the grid to the default values. The default values
are:

X Min = -10
X Max = 10
Y Min = -10
Y Max = 10

You can change these variables on the settings page as well, but this button might be
helpful if your zoomed in too far, and you would like to quickly get back to the defaults.

2.8 Export

Use the export button to e-mail the current graph to yourself or anyone else. It also
allows you to save the graph to the photos application.

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2.9 Trace

Use the trace button to enter trace mode on the graph. Tracing works a little different
depending on the graph mode you are using.

i. Tracing in Function Mode

Once you zoomed into an area of interest, press the trace button to examine your
equations. The trace feature can help you find the exact x and y coordinates for
intersections, roots, minimums, and maximums. It can also evaluate your equations at
any point you touch.

When the trace button is pressed, it will open a menu and ask you to select between
one of the following trace modes:

1. Snap to intersections/roots: In this mode, as you are tracing the graph, the application
will automatically snap to intersections, roots, and y-intercepts. When the application
finds an intersection, it will print out “Intersection Found” next to the tracing dot.

2. Snap to min/max: In this mode, as you are tracing the graph, the application will
automatically snap to the local minimums and maximums. The application will signal
that it found a minima or maxima by printing “Minimum Found” or “Maximum Found”
next to the tracing dot.

3. Do not snap: Use this mode to trace the graphs without snapping to points of interest.

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ii. Tracing in Polar/Parametric Mode

Tracing in polar or parametric mode works different and itʼs more limited. Finding
minimums, maximums, roots, or intersections is not supported. Also, the tracing dot will
not follow your finger.

In polar and parametric modes, you can trace graphs by moving your finger from the left
edge of the screen to the right edge. When your finger is near the left edge of the
screen the graphs will be evaluated close to ʻt Min” or ʻθ Min’. When your finger is near
the right edge of the screen the graphs will be evaluated near ‘t Max’ or ʻθ Max’. You can
also evaluate the graph at over one thousand different values in between the minimum
and maximum as you slide your finger from one edge of the screen to the other.

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2.10 Mode

Use the mode button to quickly switch between the three supported graph modes.

i. Function Mode

This is the default graph mode, and it allows the user to graph up to four functions in the
Cartesian coordinate system.

ii. Parametric Mode

In the parametric graph mode, the x and y coordinates are defined by two separate
functions of a third variable (t). The range for t can be defined on the settings page after
changing the graph mode to parametric. The equation editor allows the user to define
up to four sets of parametric equations to be graphed on the same graph.

To graph a smiley face, try entering the following four sets of parametric equations:
xt1(t) = 5*cos(t)
yt1(t) = 5*sin(t)
xt2(t) = 0.4*cos(t)+2
yt2(t) = 0.4*sin(t)+2
xt3(t) = 0.4*cos(t)-2
yt3(t) = 0.4*sin(t)+2
xt4(t) = 3*sin(t/3.4+2.1)
yt4(t) = 4*cos(t/3.4+2.1)
T Min = 0 X Min = -9 Y Min = -6
T Max = 7 X Max = 9 Y Max = 6

The smiley face graphed using parametric equations

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iii. Polar Mode

In the polar coordinate system each point is defined by a radius (r) and an angle (θ).
The range for θ can be defined on the settings page after setting the graph mode to
polar. The equation editor allows the user to define up to four polar equations.

For a neat looking polar graph try the following:

r1(θ) = sin(10*θ/7)
θ Min = 0
θ Max = 75

r = sin(10*θ / 7)

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3. Keyboard
This chapter introduces you to the custom keyboard available when using the calculator
and equation editor screens. The keyboard is separated into three sections.

The custom keyboard designed just for ʻGraphing Calculator HDʼ

3.1 Right section

The right side of the keyboard has a number pad similar

to what you would find on many desktop keyboards.
Along with the number pad, there are three additional
keys described below.

Note: Using the left-handed keyboard layout option, this

section is on the left hand side.

Key Description

del The del key deletes one character from the cursorʼs position.

clear The clear key clears the entire line being edited.

= On the calculator screen, the equation key evaluates the current

expression, and adds it to the calculator history.

On the equation editor screen, this key is replaced with a save

button, which simply saves the equation you are currently editing,
and quits the equation editor.

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3.2 Middle section

The middle section of the keyboard contains all the operators,

parenthesis, and variables available.

Key Description

ans On the calculator screen, the ans key lets you access the
previous calculationʼs value.

On the equation editor screen, this key is replaced with the x, θ,

or t key depending on the selected graph mode.

π A shortcut key to pi.

e The e key is overloaded to have two functions. When used by

itself e is a constant called Eulerʼs number.

You can also use e to enter numbers in scientific notation. For

example:
5e-8 = 5*10^(-8)
5e+8 = 5*10^8

/ Division operator

* Multiplication operator

- Subtraction operator and negative sign

Examples:
For negative 5 minus 4 type: -5-4

ʻGraphing Calculator HDʼ doesn't allow two operators followed by

each other, so 4--5 is invalid. In that case, put the negative
number in parenthesis: 4-(-5).

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 Key Description

√ square root function

^ power function

Examples:
For three squared type: 3^2
For 81 to the power of one half type: 81^(1/2)

+ Addition operator

( Open parenthesis

) Close parenthesis

, The comma button is used to call function with multiple input

parameters.

Example:
nPr(10,2)

3.3 Left Section

The left section of the keyboard contains all the keys needed to
access the built in functions. There are nine brown colored
shortcut keys that provide quick access to the most commonly
used functions.

The inv key can be used to invert all nine of these functions.
The rest of the built in functions can be accessed from a
submenu available by pressing the functions button.

Note: Using the left-handed keyboard layout option, this section

is on the right hand side.

Hereʼs a list of the built in functions available:

Function Description

abs() Absolute value

acos() Inverse cosine

acosh() Inverse hyperbolic cosine

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 Function Description

acot() Inverse cotangent

acoth() Inverse hyperbolic cotangent

acsc() Inverse cosecant

acsch() Inverse hyperbolic cosecant

asec() Inverse secant

asech() Inverse hyperbolic secant

asin() Inverse sine

asinh() Inverse hyperbolic sine

atan() Inverse tangent

atanh() Inverse hyperbolic tangent

ceil() Round up

cos() Cosine

cosh() Hyperbolic cosine

cot() Cotangent

coth() Hyperbolic cotangent

csc() Cosecant

csch() Hyperbolic cosecant

deg2rad() Degrees to radians

exp() e^x

floor() Round down

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 Function Description

gamma() The gamma function

The gamma function is an extension of the factorial function, with

its argument shifted down by 1.

gamma(n) = (n - 1)!

Example:
5! = gamma(6) = 120

lgamma() Natural log of the gamma function

It calculates the natural log of the gamma function without using

the gamma() function, which can be used for calculations where
gamma() would overflow.

ln() Natural logarithm

log2() Logarithm (base 2)

log10() Logarithm (base 10)

To calculate the logarithm of any base use ln(x) / ln(base).

Examples:
Log (base 3) of 27 = 3
You can calculate it by typing: ln(27)/ln(3)

Log (base 5) of 25 = 2
Calculate it by typing: ln(25)/ln(5)

max(a, b) Maximum function

Returns the larger value.

min(a, b) Minimum function

Returns the smaller value.

mod Modulo operation

nCr(n, r) Combinations

nPr(n, r) Permutations

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 Function Description

rad2deg() Radians to degrees

rand() Random integer

Example:
rand(5) returns a value between 1 and 5.

sec() Secant

sech() Hyperbolic secant

sin() Sine

sinh() Hyperbolic sine

sqrt() Square root

tan() Tangent

tanh() Hyperbolic tangent

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4. Video Output

As of version 1.0.2, ʻGraphing Calculator HDʼ can be connected to an external monitor,

TV, or projector. For this to work, you will need to purchase one of three cables sold by
Apple. For the highest image quality, I recommend Appleʼs iPad dock connector to VGA
adapter. The component and composite cables will work as well, but they only support
standard definition video at this time.

Simply connect the cable to your external monitor, and the application will automatically
detect the presence of the video cable. It will output the graph at the highest possible
resolution supported by the cable and your external display.

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5. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: I can't figure out how to graph anything. Can you help?

1. Click on the Equations button on the toolbar. The equation editor will slide in.
2. Click inside one of the equation editor boxes to select the equation you wish to edit.
3. Enter your equation. Ex: y1(x)=x^2-5.
4. Make sure the boolean switch next to the equation is turned on.
5. After you are done entering your equation, hit the orange Save button to exit the
equation editor.
6. The equation editor will slide out, and you should see your graph.

Q2: The trigonometric functions don't return the correct answer.

Make sure the angle setting is set to the units you need. By default, the calculator is set
to radian mode. For most high school problems/classes, you should change this setting
to degree mode. 

To see which mode you are in, look for the radian/degree button on the top toolbar, and
you can use that button to toggle between the two available settings.

Q3: How do I square numbers or use exponents?

Use the caret (^) operator for exponents.

Examples:
For three squared type: 3^2.
For four cubed, type: 4^3.

Q4: How do I email my graph?

Click the Export button on the top toolbar, then click Email Graph. You can also take
screen shots at any time, and the iPad will save them in the photos application. You can
email up to five graphs at the same time using this method.

To take screen shots, press the home and lock buttons at the same time.

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Q5: How can I calculate the inverse of log?

Inverse log is just the power function, which you can calculate using the caret ʻ^ʼ
operator.

Examples:
Log2(32) = 5
Inverse of log: 2^5 = 32

Log10(100) = 2
Inverse of log: 10^2 = 100

Q6: How do you change the base of the log function to something other than 2
and 10?

You can calculate the log of any base using the ln() function, which you can find on the
main keyboard.

Examples:
Log (base 3) of 27 = 3
You can calculate it by typing: ln(27)/ln(3)

Log (base 5) of 25 = 2
Try: ln(25)/ln(5)

So the rule is: ln(x)/ln(base)

Q7: How can I create a random integer list?

You can use the rand() function with one parameter passed in, which is the maximum
value returned. For example, rand(10) will return a number between 1 and 10. If you
want a list of random numbers, the easiest way to do it is to enter it as a function for
graphing:

y1(x) = rand(10)
%
You can view it on the table view, and see it evaluated 100 times.

Q8: How do I graph a single point or a set of points?

This feature is not supported yet, but it will be added in a future update.

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6. Legal Notices

Graphing Calculator HD uses parts of an open-source project called

Lua. Here is the license and copyright notice for Lua:

Copyright (C) 1994-2008 Lua.org, PUC-Rio.

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining

a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
"Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be

included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,

EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

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