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

Check Equality

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg24952] Check Equality
• From: "Hu Zhe" <huzhe at public3.sta.net.cn>
• Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 00:02:25 -0400 (EDT)
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

I remember someone once asked about checking the equality of equations 
like,
Sqrt(5-2*Sqrt(6))=Sqrt(3)-Sqrt(2) in Mathemaica. 

"FullSimplify[]" is a good solution.

After reading Edward R. Scheinerman's article "When Close Enough Is 
Close Enough" published on American Math Monthly June-July 2000, I know 
how to check equality "manually" if FullSimplify happens to fail.

I implement a function in Mathematica according to Scheinerman's theory. 


I recommend you read his original paper if possible. Or ask me to send 
you a Notebook for details, if you are interested in this subject. (I 
don't know if it is a good practice to send a message with attachment 
files, otherwise I would have attached my notebook with this email.) 

By the way, I don't know how FullSimplify[] checks equality. Hope some 
experts may divulge this secret.