How do you get started with the TI-84 Evo?

What is new on the TI-84 Evo?

If you have used an older TI-84, much of the Evo will feel familiar: 2nd and alpha work as before, and graphing still starts in y=. These are the changes you notice first.

• A home screen instead of an apps key. on now carries a house symbol and opens a grid of icons.
• A fraction key. n/d pastes a stacked fraction template.
• The toggle key ◄►. It sits right above enter and switches a result between fraction and decimal. In the Y= editor it expands a long line into a larger box, and in menus such as STAT CALC it shows the syntax of the highlighted command.
• Undo clear. 2nd clear brings back an entry you erased by mistake. Press it again for earlier deletions.
• Insert by default. New characters are inserted at the cursor, as on a computer. 2nd del switches to type-over mode and back.
• Points of Interest. While you trace, the Evo labels zeros, maximums, minimums, the y-intercept and intersections on its own.
• Logarithms to any base. log pastes a template with a box for the base. Leave the box empty and the calculator uses base 10.
• USB-C. The built-in rechargeable battery charges over a USB-C cable.

How do I find my way around the home screen?

One press of on brings you back to the home screen from any menu or app. The first icons are the ones you need most: the Calculator, the Y= Editor, the List Editor, Mode and the Equation Solver. Three habits make the grid fast:

• Use the number keys. The first ten icons open directly with 1 to 9 and 0. on 5 opens the Equation Solver, on 6 the Polynomial Root Finder.
• Watch for the red dot. It marks an app that is still running. Open the icon to continue where you left off, or choose Quit App on its OPTIONS tab to close it.
• Scroll down. More icons appear below the first rows, for example TI-Basic and Help.

Many screens, such as the solvers and the statistics forms, show buttons along the bottom edge. You press them with the key directly underneath: NEXT and SOLVE sit on graph, CALCULATE and PASTE on zoom.

How do I enter and convert fractions on the TI-84 Evo?

1. Press n/d. A stacked fraction template appears.
2. Type 5, press ▼ and type 6.
3. Press ► to leave the fraction, then press enter.
4. Press ◄►: 5/6 turns into 0.8333333333. Press ◄► again to get 5/6 back.

A small ◄► symbol at the bottom left of the screen tells you whenever a result can be toggled. The FRAC tab of the math menu holds the same conversions as commands, which is useful inside programs.

How do I graph a function and use Points of Interest?

1. Press y= and type your function next to Y1, using X,T,θ,n for X.
2. Press graph.
3. Press trace and move along the curve with ◄ ►.
4. Watch the label at the bottom left. At the right spots it announces Y-intercept, Zero, Maximum, Minimum, or Y₁∩Y₂ where two functions meet.

At a Point of Interest the cursor jumps to the exact coordinate instead of stopping at the nearest regular trace step, and the values are stored in X and Y. To practice, enter Y1 = 0.25X³−X and Y2 = 0.5X+1: a single trace collects a y-intercept, a maximum, a zero, a minimum and an intersection.

The labels appear when DETECT is set to POI, which is the factory setting. You find the row at the top of 2nd zoom (FORMAT). With POI, the Evo also stops drawing the false vertical line at an asymptote, for example in 1/(X−2).

A new Evo starts in the ZDecimal window, with x from −15.9 to 15.9 and y from −10.4 to 10.4, so each trace step is exactly 0.1. If a graph looks empty or strange, the window is usually the cause. Press window and set Xmin, Xmax, Ymin and Ymax to fit your function.

When do I still need the CALC menu?

Points of Interest are ideal for exploring a graph. When a task asks for one specific point, use the CALC menu: press 2nd trace and choose 2: zero, 3: minimum, 4: maximum or 5: intersect.

For a zero, minimum or maximum, the calculator asks for a Left Bound? and a Right Bound?. Move the cursor with ◄ ► or type an x-value, press enter each time, then press enter again at Guess?.

Intersect is quicker on the Evo. With exactly two functions on the screen, it skips the questions about which curves you mean and goes straight to Guess?. Every CALC result is stored: x in X and Ans, y in Y.

How do I solve equations on the TI-84 Evo?

The Equation Solver takes both sides of an equation as they are, so you do not have to rearrange to zero first. Take 2(X+1) = 6X+0.5 as an example:

1. Press on 5 to open the Equation Solver. If the boxes are not empty, press clear.
2. Type 2(X+1) into E1 and 6X+0.5 into E2.
3. Press NEXT (graph), type a guess such as 1 next to X= and press enter.
4. Place the cursor on the X line and press SOLVE (graph). The solution, X = 0.375, appears in green.

Back on the home screen, X,T,θ,n enter ◄► shows the solution as 3/8. For other kinds of problems, the Evo has more tools:

• Polynomial Root Finder (on 6). Choose the order, press NEXT (graph) and fill in the coefficients. It lists all roots of a polynomial up to degree 10 at once.
• System Solver (on 7). Solves systems of linear equations with up to 10 unknowns.
• Graphing. Enter the left side as Y1 and the right side as Y2, then find every intersection. This works for any equation and needs no app at all.

I am switching from the TI-84 Plus CE. What changes?

• Apps are icons. The Evo includes the Polynomial Root Finder, System Solver, Finance, Transformation Graphing, Inequality Graphing, Lines and Conics, and Python, all on the home screen.
• The ANGLE menu moved to 2nd n/d.
• The FRAC shortcut menu still exists at alpha y= (F1), but n/d and ◄► are faster for everyday work.
• GRADIAN joins RADIAN and DEGREE in the mode menu, and the status bar always shows the active angle mode.
• File sharing works differently. The Evo connects only to other Evos, not to a TI-84 Plus CE. Apps cannot be transferred at all, because they are part of the operating system.

Because keys and menus differ, a guide written for the CE often points you to keys the Evo does not have. That is why the Evo has its own guidebook. If you are not sure which model you own, read which calculator guide do I need.

Which guidebook and reference card fit the TI-84 Evo?

The TI-84 Evo Guidebook by Marco Wenisch is intended for use with the TI-84 Evo. The 1st Edition has 141 pages and comes as a paperback and for Kindle. Its eight chapters cover first steps, graphing, analyzing functions, solving equations, integrals, matrices, statistics and probability (including hypothesis tests and confidence intervals), and the home screen apps. Every screenshot shows the Evo, and an index at the back helps you look things up.

The TI-84 Evo Reference Card is a laminated 6-panel fold-out (8.5 x 11 in) for quick lookups: first steps and mode settings, everyday math, graphing, analyzing functions and solving equations, statistics, and finally matrices, the home screen tools and exam day. Read more about how a reference card helps.