Re: Mathematica language issues
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg52970] Re: [mg52955] Mathematica language issues
- From: Andrzej Kozlowski <akoz at mimuw.edu.pl>
- Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 03:59:46 -0500 (EST)
- References: <200412171020.FAA16185@smc.vnet.net>
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
On 17 Dec 2004, at 19:20, Maxim wrote: > In[5]:= > Unevaluated[1 + 1]*2 > 2*Unevaluated[1 + 1] > > Out[5]= > 4 > > Out[6]= > 2*Unevaluated[1 + 1] > This is not a glitch but works exactly as one woudl expect. You can see the difference and the reason by looking at Trace in both cases (although there is no need for that, if you understand Unevaluated you can see it right away). First: 2*Unevaluated[1+1]//Trace {2 (1+1),2 Unevaluated[1+1]} First Unevaluated is stipped away and Mathematica attempts ot evaluate 2*(1+1). Since it knows no rule to apply and the expression has not changed Unevaluated is restored and evaluation is completed with the output you see. Unevaluated[1+1]*2//Trace {(1+1) 2,2 (1+1),{1+1,2},2 2,4} As before, first Unevaluated is stripped away and Mathematica tires to evaluate 2*(1+1). It now knows a rule to apply, which is given by the Orderless attribute and the canonical ordering, so it converts the expression into the form 2 (1+1). But now Unevaluated is not restored because the expression has changed so evaluation continues with 1+1 evaluationg to 2 and finally you obtain 4. Now, I have honstly considered this case only because I could see at once what what was going on. I do not knwo if any of the others are glitches but jusdging by my experience with the past "language glitches" you have reported (unlike the more serious problems desribed in your last posting) I rather doubt it. However I have no time to spend on this just to prove a point (again). Andrzej Kozlowski Chiba, Japan http://www.akikoz.net/~andrzej/ http://www.mimuw.edu.pl/~akoz/
- References:
- Mathematica language issues
- From: ab_def@prontomail.com (Maxim)
- Mathematica language issues