How to Install and Set Up math.js?

Math.js is the JavaScript library that provides a wide range of mathematical functions and capabilities, making it an essential tool for developers working on complex mathematical computations and data analysis. It supports a variety of data types, including numbers, big numbers, complex numbers, and matrices, and integrates seamlessly with JavaScript's built-in math functions.

In this article, we will learn how to install and set up Math.js to perform various complex computations.

Install and Set Up Math.js

Setting up math.js in your project is simple. Follow the below steps to install and use math.js for performing mathematical and statistical calculations in JavaScript.

Step 1: Initialize a Node.js Project

Before you can install math.js, you need to have a Node.js project. If you don't have one, you can create it using the following command:

npm init -y

Step 2: Install math.js

This will download and install the math.js library and adds it to your project’s dependencies in the package.json file, making it available for use in your project.

npm install mathjs

Step 3: Create a JavaScript File

Create a JavaScript file (e.g., script.js) where you will write your code to perform mathematical and statistical calculations.

Step 4: Import math.js in Your JavaScript File

We will import the math.js library into your script.js file, allowing you to access its functions and features for performing various mathematical operations.

const math = require('mathjs');

Step 5: Perform Calculations Using math.js

In the below example code, we define an array of numbers and use math.js functions (mean, median, std) to calculate the mean, median, and standard deviation of the data, then print the results to the console.

// script.js
const math = require("mathjs");
const data = [ 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 ];
const mean = math.mean(data);
console.log(`Mean: ${mean}`);
const median = math.median(data);
console.log(`Median: ${median}`);
const stdDev = math.std(data);
console.log(`Standard Deviation: ${stdDev}`);

Step 6: Run Your JavaScript File

Execute your JavaScript file using Node.js to see the results of your calculations.

node script.js