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Re: Bugs in Abs and Sign !?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg25711] Re: Bugs in Abs and Sign !?
• From: "Bill Bertram" <wkb at ansto.gov.au>
• Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 04:35:35 -0400 (EDT)
• Organization: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
• References: <8sjkr7$g3p@smc.vnet.net>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Jack Goldberg <jackgold at umich.edu> wrote in message
news:8sjkr7$g3p at smc.vnet.net...
> Hi group.
>
> Try,
>
> Abs[x^2] /. Abs[u_] -> fnt[u]
>
> and
>
> Sign[x^2] /. Sign[u_] -> fnt[u]
>
> In each case I get  fnt[x]^2.  Shouldn't I get  fnt[x^2]? After all,
> g[x^2] /. g[u_] -> fnt[u]  returns fnt[x^2] which is what I have been led
> to expect from Mathematica.  I am using ver 4.01 on a PowerMac.
>



Hi Jack,

It does certainly looks like a bug, but in this case Mathematica seems to
have been smart enough to realise that ( at least for integer n),

   Sign[x^n] == Sign[x]^n, and ditto for Abs.

So fnt[x]^2 and fnt[x^2] are numerically identical.

Cheers,

      Bill