Maxima and wxMaxima in Windows 7

I am forced to use Windows every now and then, but I have recently found out that some of my favorite software works for Windows and is relatively easy to install.  Maxima is very easy, as you just download and run the Windows installer from here:  http://www.windows7download.com/win7-maxima/kqcjkmcz.html

Installing Maxima for Windows also installs wxMaxima (and Xmaxima if wanted) and gnuplot.  Here is a screenshot.

Moving the legend location in Maxima/Gnuplot

I had a plot where the function graph intersected the legend at its default position in the upper right hand corner.  I finally found a command which will move it to the lower right instead.  I'm sure you can move it to where you like, but this is the only one I found so far.  The command is:

[gnuplot_preamble,"set key bottom"]

For example,

plot2d([legendre_p(0, x), legendre_p(1, x), legendre_p(2, x),legendre_p(3, x), legendre_p(4, x), legendre_p(5, x)], [x, 0, 2], [y, -2, 5], [legend,"P_0 (x) = 1","P_1 (x) = x","P_2 (x) = (1/2)*(3*x^2 - 1)", "P_3 (x) = (1/2)*x*(5*x^2 - 3)","P_4 (x) = (1/8)*(35*x^4 - 30*x^2 + 3)","P_5 (x) = (1/8)*x*(63*x^4 - 70*x^2 + 15)" ], [ylabel,"P_n (x)"], [gnuplot_preamble,"set key bottom"]);

Found this here: http://maxima.sourceforge.net/maxima-gnuplot.html

Editing axis and legend labels in Maxima/Gnuplot

The commands for editing the labels for the x and y axes in Maxima are:

[xlabel,"expr"]

and

[ylabel,"expr"]

where expr is the argument holder where you place your text for whatever label you are wanting.  The quotes " " are necessary.

The command for the legend label is:

[legend,"expr1","expr2"]

where expr1, expr2, etc. are the argument holders where you place your text for whatever labels you are wanting depending on the number of legend labels.

These commands go inside your overall plot command.  For example,

plot2d(func, x, [xlabel,"expr"], [ylabel,"expr"], [legend,"expr1","expr2"])

Found these commands here: http://maxima.sourceforge.net/docs/manual/en/maxima_12.html#SEC65

Legendre polynomials of the first kind, plots of degrees n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

\( P_0 \left( x \right) = 1 \)

\( P_1 \left( x \right) = x \)

\( P_2 \left( x \right) = \dfrac{1}{2} \left( 3 x^2 - 1 \right) \)

\( P_3 \left( x \right) = \dfrac{1}{2} x \left( 5 x^2 - 3 \right) \)

\( P_4 \left( x \right) = \dfrac{1}{8} \left( 35 x^4 - 30 x^2 + 3 \right) \)

\( P_5 \left( x \right) = \dfrac{1}{8} x \left( 63 x^4 - 70 x^2 + 15 \right) \)

\( P_0 \left( x \right), P_1 \left( x \right), P_2 \left( x \right), P_3 \left( x \right), P_4 \left( x \right), P_5 \left( x \right) \)

Code for last graph in wxMaxima:

plot2d([legendre_p(0, x), legendre_p(1, x), legendre_p(2, x),legendre_p(3, x), 
legendre_p(4, x), legendre_p(5, x)], [x, -2, 2], [y, -2, 2], 
[legend,"P_0 (x) = 1","P_1 (x) = x","P_2 (x) = (1/2)*(3*x^2 - 1)",
"P_3 (x) = (1/2)*x*(5*x^2 - 3)","P_4 (x) = (1/8)*(35*x^4 - 30*x^2 + 3)",
"P_5 (x) = (1/8)*x*(63*x^4 - 70*x^2 + 15)" ], [ylabel,"P_n (x)"], [gnuplot_preamble,"set key bottom"]);