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Simplify and FullSimplify

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg58547] Simplify and FullSimplify
• From: "fizzy" <fizzycist at knology.net>
• Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 03:11:38 -0400 (EDT)
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

A result of a calculation I was doing generated this expression....

q-q Exp[-a x] + c Exp[-a x]


naturally my next step was Simplify and I thought I'd  get the Exp[- ax] 
collected.....to my complete surprize I got the following:

Exp[-a x] (c + (-1+ Exp[a x]) q


How on Earth did Mathematica come up with this?   I checked FullSimplify 
which did collect Exp[-a x]....

On re-reading my question before I submitted it, I see that with 
Simplify Mathematica  'collected' using Exp[- a x] q.....of course, 
visually this expression seems quite complex and would seem to take much 
more 'thinking' to get ......why do Simplify and FullSimplify have such 
a vast difference in what is considered 'Simpler'?


Thanks....Jerry Blimbaum

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: Simplify and FullSimplify
    • From: Andrzej Kozlowski <akozlowski@gmail.com>