memory is a conservative 100,000 cycles. An erase cycle occurs only when a garbage collection is
done, or when you upgrade the AMS. Under normal use, the flash will last for many years.
'Flash' can also be used as a verb: to flash the calculator or flash the ROM usually means to upgrade
to a new operating system.
floating-point
A method used by calculators (and computers) to represent numbers with non-zero fractional
components. A variety of methods and number bases can be used, but, in general, a number is
represented as a signed mantissa implicitly multiplied by a signed exponent. Floating-point calculations
are inherently imprecise, since some numbers cannot be exactly represented with a finite number of
bits.
flood
A large number of messages posted to a discussion group with malicious intent to displace other valid
messages.
folder
A named area of memory in which variables are saved. The calculator always has at least one folder
called main. You may create your own folders. It is not possible to create a folder within a folder. One
folder is always the current folder. The name of the current folder is shown in the display status line.
friendly window
A graph window with settings that result in pixel coordinates with 'round' values. This means that the
pixel coordinates of the graph cursor are values such as 1.5, 1.51, 1.52, instead of 1.499, 1.54999,
1.51999, etc.
freeze-up See crash
function
A routine with zero, one or more arguments which may return a result to the home screen or to a
calling routine. See also program and command.
function key
The blue keys labeled [F1] to [F8] on the TI-92 Plus, and [F1] to [F5] on the TI-89. On the TI-89, [F6],
[F7] and [F8] are accessed with the yellow [2nd] key. The operations performed by the function keys
are determined by the current operating mode of the calculator, and usually select functions in the
toolbar.
garbage collection
A process that the calculator automatically performs to reorganize the contents of flash memory, which
packs the variables into memory more efficiently. When you delete a variable from flash memory, it is
not deleted at that time, it is just marked as 'not used'. The variable still occupies flash memory space.
When the flash memory is full, the calculator operating system performs a garbage collection.
Variables marked as deleted are actually erased at this time. This process is similar to defragmenting a
PC hard drive. Refer to the TI-89 / TI-92 Plus Guidebook for more details.
Geometer's Sketchpad
A flash application for the TI-89 and TI-92 Plus which allows construction and analysis of geometrical
models. Geometer's Sketchpad was developed by KCP Technologies Inc, and does not support
language localization. See also Cabri Geometry.
global variable
A variable which is stored in a folder. Global variables can be recalled to the history display, and
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