MathGroup Archive 1998

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Search the Archive

Re: commutativity


  • To: mathgroup@smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg11782] Re: commutativity
  • From: David Annetts <dannetts@laurel.ocs.mq.edu.au>
  • Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 00:25:19 -0500
  • Organization: CRCAMET/Macquarie University
  • References: <6ek4j9$jag@smc.vnet.net> <6fd237$5u9@smc.vnet.net>

Hi,

Daitaro Hagihara wrote:

> In article <6ek4j9$jag@smc.vnet.net>, John Albert Horst
> <horst@cme.nist.gov> wrote:
>
> > I would like to be able to define a rule called, say, commutativeOff
> > that would work as follows:
> >
> > In[1] := a*b == b*a/.commutativeOff
> >
> > Out[1] := False
> >
> > As it is,
> >
> > In[1] := a*b == b*a
> >
> > Out[1] := True
> >
> > How can I do this?
>
> Working on this topic on and off for a week, I came up with a poor man's
> non-commutative package.  It uses ordinay symbols to represent basic
> algebra, and it can be turned on and off by a couple of switches in a
> considerately unintrusive way.  Just eval all of the following in
> brackets ([...]), and it starts out with the usual commutative
> behavior; all math is unchanged.  Then by issuing "commutativeOff"
> command, things will become completely non-commutative.  To get back to
> the usual behavior, issue "commutativeOn" command.  The vector
> differentiation is currently nothing more than a hack.  Even with a
> future improvement, if any, this is no replacement for full tensor
> packages out there.


--
 ==================================================================
 David Annetts                                       _____________
 http://www.ocs.mq.edu.au/~dannetts/                |C R C A M E T|
 * Ban all Multi-line signature files *             |-------------|
 Banning Systems Administration in 1998 when at     |_____        |
 CRC for Australian Mineral                         |````` \      |
 Exploration Technologies                           |`````/$\     |
 Earth Sciences                                     |````/$$$\____|
 Macquarie University, NSW 2109                     |```/$$$/.....|
 AUSTRALIA                                          |``/$$$/......|
 phone: +(1-61-2) 9850 9280, fax (1-61-2) 9850 8366  -------------
 ==================================================================




  • Prev by Date: Re: Mathematica frustrations...
  • Next by Date: Re: vectors in polar coordinates
  • Prev by thread: Re: commutativity
  • Next by thread: Re: commutativity