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Re: Error in Mathematica?

• To: mathgroup at yoda.physics.unc.edu
• Subject: Re: Error in Mathematica?
• From: Ronald D. Notestine <ronald at sccs.chukyo-u.ac.jp>
• Date: Tue, 09 Nov 93 02:07:19 +0900

   This is one of those that Nancy Blachman poses often
in her talks. When you input x=b then x^2/.x->a, first 
MMA evals the x^2 to b^2, then it evals the x->a to 
b->a, then it applied the rule to get a^2. 
   When you enter x=2 then x^2/.x->7, MMA first 
evals the x^2 to 2^2 to 4, then it applies the
rule x->7. Of course, now there is no x remaining
on the left of the slash-dot.
   Nancy Blachman's book, "Mathematica a Prectical
Approach" has a number of examples of this sort of
thing (at least, if I recall correctly, it does.)

Ronald D. Notestine
Faculty of Management
Chukyo University
Nagoya, Japan
ronald at sccs.chukyo-u.ac.jp
fax: 81-52-835-7196