15-10 Matrices
Matrix functions and commands
About functions • Functions can be used in any aplet or in HOME. They 
are listed in the MATH menu under the Matrix 
category. They can be used in mathematical 
expressions—primarily in HOME—as well as in 
programs.
• Functions always produce and display a result. They 
do not change any stored variables, such as a matrix 
variable.
• Functions have arguments that are enclosed in 
parentheses and separated by commas; for example, 
CROSS(vector1,vector2). The matrix input can be 
either a matrix variable name (such as M1) or the 
actual matrix data inside brackets. For example, 
CROSS(M1,[1,2]).
About commands Matrix commands are listed in the CMDS menu (  
CMDS), in the matrix category.
See “Matrix commands” on page 18-24 for details of the 
matrix commands available for use in programming.
Functions differ from commands in that a function can be 
used in an expression. Commands cannot be used in an 
expression.
Argument conventions
• For row# or column#, supply the number of the row 
(counting from the top, starting with 1) or the number 
of the column (counting from the left, starting with 1).
• The argument matrix can refer to either a vector or a 
matrix.
Matrix functions
COLNORM Column Norm. Finds the maximum value (over all 
columns) of the sums of the absolute values of all elements 
in a column.
COLNORM(matrix)
HP 39gs English.book  Page 10  Wednesday, December 7, 2005  11:24 PM