Re: Idempotence
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg37770] Re: [mg37748] Idempotence
- From: Rob Pratt <rpratt at email.unc.edu>
- Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 03:13:27 -0500 (EST)
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
On Mon, 11 Nov 2002, Tilo SchrXder wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm quite new in operating with Mathematica. Solving a problem concerning
> network reliability I have to implement an algorithm which uses idempotence
> (e.g.: a*a=a, a^2*b^3=ab).
> As a result of this fact, the following lists should be the same:
>
> list1={b+a c-a b c,c,1}
> list2={2 b+2 a c-a b c-a c (b+a c-a b c)-b (b+2 a c-a b c-a c (b+a c-a b
> c)),c,1}
>
> The result of "list1===list2" should be true.
>
> Does anybody have a hint or an idea how to solve it with Mathematica? I
> couldn't find anything about it even on Wolfram's webpage.
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Tilo.
Expand[list2]/.{Power[x_,_]->x}
Rob Pratt
Department of Operations Research
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
rpratt at email.unc.edu
http://www.unc.edu/~rpratt/