Macaulay2 differs from other computer algebra systems such as Maple and Mathematica, in that before making a polynomial, you must create a ring to contain it, deciding first the complete list of indeterminates and the type of coefficients permitted. Recall that a ring is a set with addition and multiplication operations satisfying familiar axioms, such as the distributive rule. Examples include the ring of integers (
ZZ), the ring of rational numbers (
QQ), and the most important rings in Macaulay2, polynomial rings.
The sections below describe the types of rings available and how to use them.
For additional common operations and a comprehensive list of all routines in Macaulay2 which return or use rings, see
Ring.