Re: Re(best answer)
- To: mathgroup at christensen.cybernetics.net
- Subject: [mg593] Re: [mg584] Re[mg557] (best answer)
- From: Jack Goldberg <Jack.Goldberg at math.lsa.umich.edu>
- Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 10:14:35 -0500 (EST)
[Note: if there is enough interest and I have the time I
might put together a reference book like Jack suggests
below. - steve christensen]
Martin McClain's observation that (-1)^(3/4) does not appear
in The Book and that something like it should, raises a very important
issue. Over the course of the last year and 1/2 I have had the
pleasure of having my (sometimes naive) questions answered and learning
much about Mma because of it. Moreover, studying the questions and
answers of other members of our group was at least as informative.
The answers reveal many not so obvious uses of Mma functions and
commands and syntax. It seems to me obvious that an edited collection
of these questions and answers would be a marvelous resource.
I can imagine such a collection being used as a reference for
problems in a course in Mma to mention only one use.
Is anyone else interested in such a project? I don't know
if the questions sent to MathGroup are saved, but if they are I would
be willing to devote time (with help form others!) to complile and
organize the questions and their answers.
Jack
On Tue, 21 Mar 1995, Martin McClain wrote:
> > Does anybody know a core or standard package command that makes
> > transformations like (-1)^(3/4) -> (-1+I)/Sqrt[2] ?
>
> There was a simple answer to my question, supplied by Robby Villegas of
> WRI.
>
> Here it is: ComplexExpand.
>
> I missed it because there is nothing like ComplexExpand[(-1)^(3/4)] among
> the examples given in The Book. This is a really common need, and I hope
> it will appear as an example in future editions.
>
> Thanks, Robby, and also thanks to others who sent home-made operators that
> also do the job nicely.
>
> Martin McClain
>
>
>
>