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Re: Need a means to get arguments of a function

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg18588] Re: [mg18444] Need a means to get arguments of a function
  • From: BobHanlon at aol.com
  • Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 01:01:24 -0400
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Patrick,

w = f[x, u, v];
v = h[x, y];

The number of arguments in f is just

Length[w]

3

You can access each argument separately

Table[w[[k]], {k, Length[w]}]

{x, u, h[x, y]}

Or you can access all arguments at once

List @@ w

{x, u, h[x, y]}

You can select only those arguments that are symbols

Select[List @@ w, Head[#] == Symbol &]

{x, u}

Cases[w, _Symbol]

{x, u}

Or those arguments that are not symbols

Select[List @@ w, Head[#] =!= Symbol &]

{h[x, y]}

Or symbols at any level (duplicates removed)

Union[Cases[w, _Symbol, Infinity]]

{u, x, y}

Or those arguments that explicitly depend on x

Select[List @@ w, ! FreeQ[#, x] &]

{x, h[x, y]}

Or the position of any argument that equals v

Cases[Table[{k, w[[k]]}, {k, Length[w]}], 
  {n_, v} -> n]

{3}

Bob Hanlon

In a message dated 7/7/99 1:37:43 PM, reany at xroads.com writes:

>I'm using version 3.0.1 to demonstrate the differentiation of composite
>functions. I need a means to get arguments to user-defined function(s)
>to demonstrate the chain rule. For example, if the user put in
>
>w = f[x,u,v] and v = h[x,y]
>
>I need to get at each of the arguments of  f, even though Mathematica
>wants to substitute out v in f by h[x,y].
>
>Does Mathematica allow me to get at the original number of arguments of
>f and does it have an indexed function that lets me get at each
>particular argument of  f, such as allowing me to determine, say, that
>the third argument of  f is v?
>


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