Engineering design can be supported either by formal mathematical analysis or by simulation in some way, such as Monte Carlo. If the forces involved aren't well understood, or if the math is complex, many turn to simulations—and often to over-engineering—to compensate.For those whose engineering design efforts involve a fair amount of formal analysis, one of the leading symbolic mathematics engines available is Maple, a mature and capable solution now in its 16th major release (I have a copy of Maple 5 on my bookshelf from circa 1994). Maple helps engineering design efforts through its ability to define designs and forces through symbolic equations, and solve those equations. Maple also provides the ability to easily create graphs from equations that can help in visualizing different aspects of a design.
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