Re: RE: Re: Mixed derivative button on basic input palette
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg40788] Re: [mg40748] RE: [mg40737] Re: Mixed derivative button on basic input palette
- From: Dr Bob <majort at cox-internet.com>
- Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 03:36:14 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <200304160535.BAA20180@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: majort at cox-internet.com
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
>> Perhaps in such cases the palette should include parentheses around the >> selection box. I like that idea! Bobby On Wed, 16 Apr 2003 01:35:14 -0400 (EDT), David Park <djmp at earthlink.net> wrote: > Will, > > I think you're right. It is not intuitive or user-friendly. Perhaps in > such > cases the palette should include parentheses around the selection box. > > David Park > djmp at earthlink.net > http://home.earthlink.net/~djmp/ > > From: Will Self [mailto:wself at msubillings.edu] To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net > To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net > > Thanks one and all. I'm not a palette guy really. Actually I'm sort > of a Mathematica 2 guy. But my students like the palettes. > > Observe that this behavior is identical with that of the one-variable > derivative button on the palette, for example, if you use the palette > button to do the derivative of x^2Sin[x], you get the wrong answer > unless you remember the parentheses. Remembering the parentheses > strikes me as a lot harder to do than just typing in the D notation. > It is remarkable that there is no visual clue (such as a pink window) > to show that the cursor is no longer in the input box generated by the > palette. > > Furthermore, the behavior is *not* consistent with the way the > summation button works. There, you can enter the sum as x goes from 1 > to 3 of x^2Sin[x], and it comes out right; no need for parentheses. > > It seems like a fiendish design to mislead poor students. > > Will > > > "David Park" <djmp at earthlink.net> wrote in message > news:<b7b09v$qqh$1 at smc.vnet.net>... >> Will, >> >> You have to put parentheses around x^3 y^4, otherwise you are >> calculating >> >> D[x^3, x, y]y^4 >> >> >> David Park >> djmp at earthlink.net >> http://home.earthlink.net/~djmp/ >> >> From: Will Self [mailto:wself at msubillings.edu] To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net > To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net >> >> Would you try the mixed derivative button on your basic input palette >> and see if it works? Click on the button and put x and y in the two >> subscripts, then put x^3y^4 in the box to the right. I get 0, both in >> versions 4.0 and 4.2. It seems that the Wolfram people could have >> fixed this bug by now. >> >> Of course, the kernel is fine, and >> D[x^3y^4, x, y] gives the correct output 12x^2y^3. >> >> I hope I'm not flogging a dead horse. I did a search but found >> nothing on this. >> >> Thanks, >> >> Will > > > -- majort at cox-internet.com Bobby R. Treat
- References:
- RE: Re: Mixed derivative button on basic input palette
- From: "David Park" <djmp@earthlink.net>
- RE: Re: Mixed derivative button on basic input palette