Can a TI-86 work with imaginary numbers and give back answers in terms of i? Can the 89?

[archcommus]

Just wondering, thanks.

 

[MikeMike]

i assume the 86 and above can since the 83+ can....

MIKE

 

[Reel]

I have done it using an 86. Don't ask me how but I know I have. I always looked it up or played around with it to figure it out when I needed it.

 

[SynthDude2001]

The 89 can, I don't know about the 86.

 

[Quasmo]

plus the 89 has "pretty print" 89 is uber awesome and is worth the extra cash IMHO

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

89 is very nice, has a CAS (computer algebra system). So you can get answers with variables in them. Derivatives, integrals, limits, sums, etc.

Pretty Print is very much a plus, it lets you avoid mistakes made with paranthesis by seeing an expression the way you would write it on paper.

Go with an 89 if you're going to be taking Calculus, but don't let it do everything. I can't use a calculator on tests here at all.

 

[archcommus]

Okay, because right now I have an 86 that the high school lends to us. At the end of the year I give it back, so I'm trying to decide which one I want to buy for college (majoring in electrical and computer engineering). I was assuming that I might as well buy the best, which would be the 89, but I emailed the head of the department at the school I will be attending and he said that graphing capabilities aren't very important, as we will use computers for that. He said I just need to make sure it can solve multiple equations simultaneously with a matrix and that it can work with imaginary numbers. He said anything from an 83 up should be able to do this (he actually uses an 85 himself), however I had NO idea that an 86 could do either of those things, and I've been using one for a year and a half!

 

[djpolstee]

Being an Engineering student, I can speak of experience that for the calc classes and differential equations, that my 92 was handy. Best I can tell, the 89 can do as much as the 92, but the 89 looks more like an 83, body style. However on certain standardized tests, you can't use any calc, so like ArmchairAthlete said "don't let it do everything"

 

[archcommus]

Well I guess I'll just get an 89 then regardless of what the 86 can do because the 89s are so nice. My friend has one and it's great.

But how the heck do you solve multiple equations simultaneously with a matrix with an 86? Or work with imaginary numbers? The professor said 83 and up can do these things but I don't know how.

So, for the 89, regular or Titanium? Titanium worth it?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: djpolstee
Being an Engineering student, I can speak of experience that for the calc classes and differential equations, an 83+ is fine for when you need to graph stuff. Otherwise it is all doable by hand

Fixed.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: archcommus87
Well I guess I'll just get an 89 then regardless of what the 86 can do because the 89s are so nice. My friend has one and it's great.

But how the heck do you solve multiple equations simultaneously with a matrix with an 86? Or work with imaginary numbers? The professor said 83 and up can do these things but I don't know how.

So, for the 89, regular or Titanium? Titanium worth it?

Is it worth it over the other one? perhaps.

Will any of it actually benefit you? Probably not until you get into the high-level post-DIFF EQ stuff

 

[archcommus]

I suppose the regular 89 would be fine. I don't think I'll need a USB port on it or 3x the memory of a regular 89. It's not like I'll be playing games on it or anything.

So, how to do matrices and imaginaries with an 86?

 

[EyeMWing]

When I got my 89, the USB cable was free after rebate. No need for a fancy dedicated USB port on the calc.

The "silver editions" are just moneymaking devices and offer no mathematical advantage over the cheaper standard editions (except the added CPU horsepower, which decreases wait time and nothing more)

 

[MrCodeDude]

I :heart: my Ti89. I have an 83, 86, 89 and 92. The 92 is kind of cool, but it's too big.

 

[damonpip]

The 83+ does imaginary, so I imagine the 86 does. To do imaginary on the 83, you go to the mode menu and set it to "a+bi" instead of "Real".

 

[amol]

i lost my 83 silver =/

im thinking a new 86

 

[amol]

i lost my 83 silver =/

im thinking a new 86

 

[PrincessGuard]

The 86 represents complex numbers in (real,imaginary) form. E.g. 2+5i would be (2,5).

Google for "ti-86 manual" and read up.

 

[archcommus]

Thanks all, I guess an 86 would do the job but I'll get a regular edition 89 for the fall.

Now I just need a dirt cheap 86 because mine got stolen and my teacher needs one back at the end of the year.

 

[Shawn]

my color casio cfx-9850gb plus can.