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Re: rules for Sign[_]^n

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg26353] Re: [mg26337] rules for Sign[_]^n
  • From: Andrzej Kozlowski <andrzej at bekkoame.ne.jp>
  • Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 02:41:15 -0500 (EST)
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

on 12/12/00 4:54 PM, Adalbert Hanssen at hanssen at Zeiss.de wrote:

> Hi, MathGroup,
> 
> dealing with Sign, it would be useful, if Mathematica
> knew 
> 
> {(Sign[_])^(y_?EvenQ):>1, (Sign[x_])^(y_?OddQ):>Sign[x]}
> 
> How can I teach Mathematica this rule (in Init.m), such that it
> automaticly applies it in Simplify, Expand and the like
> whenever applicable?
> 
> kind regards
> 
> Dipl.-Math. Adalbert Hanszen
> 

In fact it is easy enough to do:

In[1]:=
Unprotect[Sign];
In[2]:=
Sign /: Sign[_]^x_?EvenQ = 1; Sign /: Sign[y_]^x_?OddQ = Sign[y];
In[3]:=
Protect[Sign];

Now:

In[4]:=
Sign[x^4*y^3]
Out[4]=
Sign[y]

and so on.

Note however that this contradicts the built-in  meaning of Sign in
Mathematica in certain special cases. In Mathematica Sign[0] is 0 (and
Sign[I] is I). So you can now produce contradictions like:

In[5]:=
( Sign[x] - x)^2 /. x -> 0

Out[5]=
0

In[6]:=
Expand[( Sign[x] - x)^2] /. x -> 0

Out[6]=
1

Note also that even without these definitions Mathemtica will (almost)
correctly apply rules for Sign in Simplify:

(Fresh Kernel session)

In[1]:=
Simplify[Sign[x]^12, Element[x, Reals] && x ? 0]

Out[1]=
1

In[2]:=
Simplify[Sign[x]^13, Element[x, Reals] && x ? 0]

Out[2]=
       13
Sign[x]


This last output seems a bit unfortunate and probably ought to be corrected
in a future version. Still:

In[3]:=
Simplify[Sign[x]^13, x > 0]

Out[3]=
1

In[4]:=
Simplify[Sign[x]^13, x < 0]

Out[4]=
-1

are fine.

-- 
Andrzej Kozlowski
Toyama International University
JAPAN

http://platon.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/andrzej/
http://sigma.tuins.ac.jp/



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