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<TITLE>RE: [LON-CAPA-users] Maxima is being fussy</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>I think the version I have on my computer is different from the one use on the Lon Capa server. It worked fine in the command line. Below are the Maxima commands I used.<BR>
<BR>
I guess with my inexperience with Maxima, I'm worried that there might be another case that Maxima will mark a correct answer wrong. Will the triple trigsimp(trigreduce()) trick always work?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
(%i30) g(x) := 1/3 * (8 + (x-3)^3);<BR>
1 3<BR>
(%o30) g(x) := - (8 + (x - 3) )<BR>
3<BR>
(%i31) h(x) := 8/3 + ((x-3)^3)/3;<BR>
3<BR>
8 (x - 3)<BR>
(%o31) h(x) := - + --------<BR>
3 3<BR>
(%i32) is(trigsimp(trigreduce(g(x) - h(x)=0)));<BR>
(%o32) true<BR>
(%i33) is(trigsimp(trigreduce(h(x) - g(x)=0)));<BR>
(%o33) true<BR>
(%i34) h(x) := (8 + (x-3)^3)/3;<BR>
3<BR>
8 + (x - 3)<BR>
(%o34) h(x) := ------------<BR>
3<BR>
(%i35) is(trigsimp(trigreduce(g(x) - h(x)=0)));<BR>
(%o35) true<BR>
(%i36) is(trigsimp(trigreduce(h(x) - g(x)=0)));<BR>
(%o36) true<BR>
(%i37)<BR>
<BR>
-----Original Message-----<BR>
From: lon-capa-users-bounces@mail.lon-capa.org on behalf of Gerd Kortemeyer<BR>
Sent: Tue 2/21/2012 6:36 PM<BR>
To: Discussion list for LON-CAPA users<BR>
Subject: Re: [LON-CAPA-users] Maxima is being fussy<BR>
<BR>
Hi,<BR>
<BR>
On Feb 21, 2012, at 6:56 PM, Seema Ali wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> I don't really understand how the abs()<0.0000001 tolerance works for an algebraic expression.<BR>
<BR>
There should not be a need for a tolerance.<BR>
<BR>
> So I decided to go nuts with the trigsimp() and trigreduce() functions. I applied it to both functions and then did the subtraction and applied it again.<BR>
><BR>
> is(trigsimp(trigreduce(trigsimp(trigreduce(RESPONSE[1]))- trigsimp(trigreduce(g(x)))))=0);<BR>
><BR>
> It seems to be working, but is this approach full proof?<BR>
<BR>
It does seem weird that this would be needed. Can you use MAXIMA from the command line, enter your previous expressions by hand, and see what MAXIMA says?<BR>
<BR>
- Gerd.<BR>
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