[LON-CAPA-users] Using symbols for "infinity" in responses

[Rex Abert]

This does the trick:


if($a*$d > 0){
   $answer = inf;
}else{
   $answer = -inf;
}
sub toLowerCase {
     my ($response) = @_;
     # Remove spaces
     $response =~ s/ //g;
     $response = lc $response;
     return $response;
}
</script>

<startouttext />
     Evaluate the limit. <br /><br />
     <m eval="on">$$ $lim1 $$</m>
<endouttext />

<p />
<formularesponse answer="$answer" id="12" preprocess="toLowerCase">
     <textline />
     Enter a number, reduced fraction, or "inf" for <m>$ \infty</m>, 
"-inf" for <m>$ -\infty</m>, or "DNE" if a limit does not exist.
</formularesponse>

On 5/27/20 8:24 AM, Rex Abert wrote:
>
> I was just wondering about whether there is (or should be) a 
> "standardized" way to do it.  I have decided that what I will do is 
> use a formula response with preprocessing to make student responses 
> case-insensitive.
>
> Rex
>
> On 5/26/20 6:13 PM, Justin Gray wrote:
>> CAUTION:This email originated from outside of the college. Do not 
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>>
>> Hi Rex,
>>
>> I see that Purdue has a guide on Entering Math Expressions in LON-CAPA at
>> https://www.math.purdue.edu/academic/files/courses/2016summer/MA16010/EnteringMathExpressionsinLON-CAPA.pdf
>>
>> While it is possible to author questions in LON-CAPA that accept this 
>> syntax, I do not believe that this is strict Maxima syntax:
>>
>> Infinity is written as inf
>> Negative infinity is written as minf (though I think -inf will still 
>> work)
>> The constant pi is written %pi
>> The exponential function is written as %e^(x) or exp(x)
>>
>> ln(x) is written as log(x) - this is confusing to students but you 
>> could write a mathresponse problem to redefine ln(x) to be log(x) in 
>> the answer algorithm if you want.
>> ln(x) is otherwise interpreted as l*n*x which makes accepting 
>> equivalent answers difficult.
>>
>> Best,
>> Justin
>>
>>
>>       --
>>
>>       *Justin Gray*
>>       Senior Lecturer | Department of Mathematics
>>       Simon Fraser University | SCK 10531
>>       8888 University Dr., Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6
>>       Canada
>>       T: 778.782.4237
>>
>>       Simon Fraser University is located on the Unceded Coast Salish
>>       Territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam),
>>       Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Kwikwitlem, and
>>       Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) Peoples
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, May 26, 2020 at 5:34 AM Rex Abert <abertr at tcc.fl.edu 
>> <mailto:abertr at tcc.fl.edu>> wrote:
>>
>>     I am developing some <formularesponse> questions for Calculus I
>>     limits
>>     at infinity.  Sometimes the answer is +infinity or -infinity,
>>     sometimes
>>     a constant (horizontal asymptote).  If I set the correct response as
>>     "inf" (lowercase), the previewer correctly interprets the symbol as
>>     expected.  A guide published by Purdue suggests that all caps
>>     should be
>>     used, "INF."  I had the answer in a question set as "-inf" and a
>>     student
>>     entered "-INF" and it was marked incorrect, as Maxima should, because
>>     uppercase and lowercase symbols are different to Maxima.
>>
>>     I guess I am just looking for clarification on a standard way to
>>     do this
>>     in LC, given the behavior of the javascript previewer.
>>
>>     --
>>     Rex Abert
>>     Professor of Mathematics
>>     Tallahassee Community College
>>
>>
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> -- 
> Rex Abert
> Professor of Mathematics
> Tallahassee Community College
>
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-- 
Rex Abert
Professor of Mathematics
Tallahassee Community College

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