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, or by just downloading the library from the website: https://mathjs.org/download.html.

To install via npm, run:

npm install mathjs

Other ways to install math.js are described on the website.

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.

ES modules #

Load the functions you need and use them:

import { sqrt } from 'mathjs'

console.log(sqrt(-4).toString()) // 2i

To use lightweight, number only implementations of all functions:

import { sqrt } from 'mathjs/number'

console.log(sqrt(4).toString()) // 2
console.log(sqrt(-4).toString()) // NaN

You can create a mathjs instance allowing configuration and importing of external functions as follows:

import { create, all } from 'mathjs'

const config = { }
const math = create(all, config)

console.log(math.sqrt(-4).toString()) // 2i

How to optimize your bundle size using tree-shaking is described on the page Custom bundling.

Node.js #

Load math.js in node.js (CommonJS module system):

const { sqrt } = require('mathjs')

console.log(sqrt(-4).toString()) // 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:

<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="math.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
  <script type="text/javascript">
    console.log(math.sqrt(-4).toString()) // 2i
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Use #

Math.js can be used similar to JavaScript’s built-in Math library. Besides that, math.js can evaluate expressions (see Expressions) and supports chaining (see Chaining).

The example code below shows how to use math.js. More examples can be found in the section Examples.

// 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.evaluate('12 / (2.3 + 0.7)')    // 4
math.evaluate('12.7 cm to inch')     // 5 inch
math.evaluate('sin(45 deg) ^ 2')     // 0.5
math.evaluate('9 / 3 + 2i')          // 3 + 2i
math.evaluate('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:

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