# Symbolic Computation

> When to reach for SymPy vs Wolfram|Alpha; standard patterns for simplify/solve/integrate/ODE; sanity-checking results.

- Skill: `poly-gents/symbolic-computation` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add poly-gents/symbolic-computation`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/poly-gents/symbolic-computation/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: poly-gents (https://skillmd.com/u/poly-gents)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/poly-gents/symbolic-computation

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# Symbolic computation

- **SymPy first** via `python_run` — reproducible, scriptable, free. Reach for Wolfram|Alpha only when SymPy stalls.
- Standard idioms: `simplify`, `solve`, `Eq(...)`, `integrate(expr, (x, a, b))`, `dsolve` for ODEs, `nsimplify` to recover closed forms from numeric.
- **Always sanity-check** a symbolic answer numerically at 2–3 points (`lambdify` + plug in floats).
- Show the SymPy input *and* its output in chat; never paraphrase the result.
- If an integral or ODE is intractable, say so explicitly and switch to numerical or asymptotic.