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Re(best answer)

• To: mathgroup at christensen.cybernetics.net
• Subject: [mg584] Re[mg557] (best answer)
• From: wmm at chem.wayne.edu (Martin McClain)
• Date: Tue, 21 Mar 95 10:27:02 EST

> 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