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RE: fractional simplification

• To: mathgroup@smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg11846] RE: [mg11828] fractional simplification
• From: "jmt" <jmthomas@cybercable.tm.fr>
• Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1998 00:35:50 -0500

If you evaluate:
FullForm[a.b/a]
you will get
Times[Power[a,-1],Dot[a,b]]

Dot (see help for Dot) is related to matrix or vector product. Since
neither a nor b have been defined as vector (and I suspect in your mind
a and b refer to numbers), the operation a.b has no special meaning for
a and b, therefore if b is a vector (like Dot suggests it should be),
b/b has no special meaning again.

Ordinary product is enter either by a space like "a b" or by a star
"a*b"

Hope this helps,


**************************************** Jean-Marie THOMAS
Conseil et Audit en Inginierie de Calcul Strasbourg, France
****************************************

-----Original Message-----
From: Pierre MARTINEU [mailto:gro@mail.club-internet.fr] To:
mathgroup@smc.vnet.net
Subject: [mg11846] [mg11828] fractional simplification


We didn't manage to simplify the symbolic expression : "a . b/a" under
Mathematica 2.2.
We've tried using different functions like 'simplify' ...without success
!
Is it normal ?
Do you have any solutions to solve this problem ?

Thanks

Could you send your answer to the following e-mail :
benet@gro.creditlyonnais .fr