Maxima is a powerful algebra system originating from the Macsyma program developed at MIT. It has set the foundation for renowned applications like Mathematica and Maple. Maxima excels in various mathematical operations, including differentiation, integration, Taylor series expansion, Laplace transforms, solving ordinary differential equations, and handling systems of linear equations, vectors, matrices, and tensors. With an extensive range of built-in functions, having the program documentation, available in both English and Spanish, is highly recommended. Maxima also includes the wxMaxima GUI, which offers graphical representations of your functions, enhancing usability and visualization. Ideal for mathematicians, engineers, and scientists, Maxima is a versatile tool for complex algebraic computations.

I'm torn about Maxima. It does help me stay on track, but I've experienced some bugs. I want to love it more than I do right now; it has potential, but needs work.