 get started. It’s well worth your time if you’re interested in using WolframAlpha. Watch it here. The WolframAlpha web site also provides numerous examples of how to enter queries as well as mathematical formulas into WolframAlpha’s search box. Watch it here.
When to use WolframAlpha rather than Google
WolframAlpha is designed to provide clear, straightforward answers to specific questions using natural language queries and equations. Google gives you links to all the web pages (often millions or even billions) related to whatever you type into its search box.
An article in UK’s Telegraph summarizes the differences, “a Google search, for, say, the nutritional values of a Big Mac returns 123,000 results which web users then have to sift through to find the facts they want. A similar search on Wolfram Alpha will, in theory, return a single answer, detailing the calories, fat content and salt levels in the McDonald’s burger.”
Let’s try it. Type Tell me about Big Mac nutrition? into WolframAlpha’s search box:
You get a complete nutritional breakdown of the Big Mac that goes considerably beyond the screenshot above. WolframAlpha gives you computed results such as average daily value ranking for protein, total fat, saturated fat, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It also gives you graphs showing the average highest nutrients compared to other foods, and tables showing averages for calories, carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and sterols.
Here are some of the graphs:
How to Write Simple Queries
You’ve already seen several examples of simple natural language queries. You don’t need to write complete English sentences, WolframAlpha (mostly) understands your shorthand. You’ll need to experiment a little to get your queries just right.
Here are some simple examples:
- Generate a map of Afghanistan: afghanistan map
- Find U.S. life expectancies: us life expectancies
(77.89 by the way)
- Do basic arithmetic: 534 + 1267
- Create a decimal approximation: pi to 1000 digits
- Make a graph of x3 – 6×2 + 4x + 12: plot x^3 – 6x^2 + 4x + 12
- Compare GDP per capita for the U.S. and China: GDP per capita US/China
These examples just scratch the surface. A complete list of topics currently supported by WolframAlpha includes:
Getting Financial Data
WolframAlpha lets you do a number of financial calculations and complex calculations. Some of the more useful ones include analyzing the stock market or calculating mortgage rates.
For example, to compare Microsoft, Google, and Apple, type MSFT, APL, GOOG into WolframAlpha’s search box:
The complete output from this query includes several pages of data and graphs – recent returns, relative price history, performance comparisons including bonds and T-bills, projections, mean-variance optimal portfolio, expected annual return, and volatility.
How about that new house? Can you afford it? Type mortgage $300,000, 6.5%, 30 years into the search box:
In addition to the monthly payment and interest rate, you get the total interest paid and nice graphs showing payment balances over time.
Getting Medical Data
WolframAlpha provides a number of interesting medical statistics including body measurements, physical exercise, diseases, mortality, medical tests, and medical computations.
For example, to determine the benefits of running 30 minutes for a 35-year-old female, type running 30min 35yo female into the search box:
In addition, WolframAlpha gives you speed, pace, distance, time, and race predictions.
Or, how about cholesterol information for a 45-year-old male. Type: cholesterol 45yo man into the search box:
Getting Scientific Data
By now, you’ve probably got a good sense of how to get useful information from WolframAlpha. If you’re a scientist or a student of science, you’ve got many, many more options. Table 1 summarizes some of the example areas you can query for physics, chemistry, astronomy, earth sciences, and life sciences.
Table 1. A sample of WolframAlpha scientific areas available to query
|Physics||Chemistry||Astronomy||Earth Sciences||Life Sciences|
|Mechanics||Chemical Elements||Star Cha