Graphics 
Calculators
in Calculus

This site contains information and links related to the use of graphics calculators in calculus courses. The descriptions specifically relate to Texas Instruments' TI-85 calculator but other graphing calculators may be analyzed by similar procedures. The TI-85 programming language is very similar to BASIC. For the most part, it's quite easy to decipher and transcribe this language into programming languages for other graphics calculators. One reference which compares programs for different calculators is the book Graphing Calculator Laboratory Manual for Calculus by F. Demana and B. Waits (Addison-Wesley, 1993).

Some information:


Here are source codes for some interesting and/or useful elementary programs for the TI-85:

To type these codes into the TI-85, select "EDIT" from the "PRGM" menu, and start by entering the program name. The code can then be typed in letter by letter. There is a program editing menu (the default menu when you enter program edit mode) which has some useful shortcuts and editing options available. Most of the commands and elementary functions can be most quickly entered by making appropriate choices from various menus. For example, "Input", "ClLCD" and "DispG" are in the "I/O" menu; while "Lbl", "For" and "End" are in the "CTL" menu. ("I/O" and "CTL" are submenus in the default program editing menu.) Inequalites can be found in the "TEST" menu (located in the second from bottom row of keys on the TI-85). The arrow "->" is obtained using the "STO>" button (located on the left side of the second-from-bottom row of the key pad). The "CATALOG" menu is an alphabetized list of choices -- if you're not sure where to find a particular command or function, its almost certain to be on this menu. For more detailed information on creating programs, be sure to read the TI-85 Owner's Guidebook.


There are numerous internet resources for the TI-85. Some starting points are:


This document was created in September, 1996 and last revised on Nov. 18, 1998.

Your questions, comments or suggestions are welcomed. Please direct correspondence to:

Andy Miller
Department of Mathematics
University of Oklahoma
e-mail: amiller@ou.edu

URL: http://www.math.ou.edu/~amiller/ti85/ti85.htm