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Zero testing

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg53106] Zero testing
  • From: Maxim <ab_def at prontomail.com>
  • Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 07:59:42 -0500 (EST)
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

By 'zero testing' I mean the problem of deciding whether a given numerical  
quantity is exactly equal to zero. Often Mathematica doesn't make  
necessary checks at all:

In[1]:=
a = Pi/4; b = I*Log[-(-1)^(3/4)];
Limit[(a - b)/x, x -> 0]
Integrate[1/((x - a)*(x - b)), x]
Integrate[1/(x - b), {x, 0, 1}]

Out[2]=
DirectedInfinity[Pi - (4*I)*Log[-(-1)^(3/4)]]

Out[3]=
(-4*((-2*I)*ArcTan[Log[-(-1)^(3/4)]/x] - 2*Log[Pi - 4*x] + Log[16*(x^2  
+ Log[-(-1)^(3/4)]^2)]))/(2*Pi - (8*I)*Log[-(-1)^(3/4)])

Out[4]=
((-I)*Pi - (2*I)*ArcTan[Log[-(-1)^(3/4)]] - Log[Log[-(-1)^(3/4)]^2]  
+ Log[1 + Log[-(-1)^(3/4)]^2])/2

The constants a and b are equal to each other. We can see that Out[2] is  
incorrect because it is equal to ComplexInfinity and the limit of 0/x is  
0; Out[3] is also equal to ComplexInfinity (the denominator is zero) and  
therefore wrong as well; finally, Out[4] is incorrect because the integral  
doesn't converge.

A variation of the same problem is when we're numerically evaluating a  
discontinuous function for an argument close to a discontinuity point. In  
those cases Mathematica does perform necessary checks but handles more  
complicated cases incorrectly, especially when the branch cuts are  
concerned:

In[5]:=
Sign[Im[Sqrt[-1 - 10^-18*I]]]

Out[5]=
1

In[6]:=
((1 + I*(-167594143/78256779 + Pi))^4)^(1/2)

Out[6]=
(1 + I*(-167594143/78256779 + Pi))^2

In fact In[5] is equal to -1 and In[6] is equal to -(1  
+ I*(-167594143/78256779 + Pi))^2. In the last case we do not even apply  
any functions, the error is in the automatic simplifications. Sometimes  
setting a high value for $MinPrecision helps, but here it doesn't have any  
effect either.

Maxim Rytin
m.r at inbox.ru


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