[LON-CAPA-users] multiple response boxes

[Lon Mitchell]

What are the possible interactions among multiple response boxes in a 
question?  I have found examples of questions where a custom response 
boxes are used, and a perl routine compares the separate inputs, for 
example, to check the off-diagonal elements of a matrix to see if it is 
symmetric, but this seems to limit  the computer algebra system role in 
evaluating the result.  In particular, is it possible to have non-custom 
response boxes interact?

For an example that might justify the above, what about asking "Give a 
2x2 symmetric matrix with no zero entries and calculate its 
characteristic polynomial" (perhaps this could be a leading question to 
a discussion about symmetric matrix eigenvalues).  We could use custom 
response boxes to check that the matrix is symmetric and has no zero 
entries using perl, but it would then be nice to invoke maxima to find 
the characteristic polynomial and provide it to a standard formula 
response box to check the other student entry.

Finally, are multiple response boxes the best way to ask for a matrix 
answer?

Thanks,

Lon Mitchell