Re: Simplification question
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg59108] Re: Simplification question
- From: Jean-Marc Gulliet <jeanmarc.gulliet at gmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:41:47 -0400 (EDT)
- Organization: The Open University, Milton Keynes, U.K.
- References: <dc76pp$jvg$1@smc.vnet.net> <dc9vdl$cm6$1@smc.vnet.net>
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Jean-Marc Gulliet wrote: > snoofly wrote: > >>Can someone explain this to me please. >> >>Clear[m] >> >>Simplify[Sin[3 m Pi], Assumptions -> m \[Element] Integers] >>0 >> >>Simplify[Cos[3 m Pi], Assumptions -> m \[Element] Integers] >> >>Cos[3 m \[Pi]] >> >>I'm not sure why Mathematica cannot deduce that the second simplification >>should be (1)^m. >> > > Because it is a wrong answer! > > In[1]:= > Simplify[Cos[m*Pi], Assumptions -> m \[Element] Integers] > > Out[1]= > (-1)^m > > In[2]:= > Simplify[Cos[m*Pi], Assumptions -> m \[Element] Integers] /. m -> 3*m > > Out[2]= > (-1)^(3*m) > > If m is even then > > In[3]:= > Simplify[Cos[2*k*Pi], Assumptions -> k \[Element] Integers] > > Out[3]= > 1 > > If m is odd then > > In[4]:= > Simplify[Cos[(2*k + 1)*Pi], Assumptions -> k \[Element] Integers] > > Out[4]= > -1 > > Regards, > /J.M. > Sorry, the last two input lines should have been the following ones: In[1]:= Simplify[Cos[3*(2*k + 1)*Pi], Assumptions -> k \[Element] Integers] Out[1]= -1 In[2]:= Simplify[Cos[3*(2*k)*Pi], Assumptions -> k \[Element] Integers] Out[2]= 1 If you want to keep your original expression you an use a replacement rule for m, depending on whether m is odd or even: In[3]:= Simplify[Cos[3*m*Pi] /. m -> 2*k + 1, Assumptions -> k \[Element] Integers] Out[3]= -1 In[4]:= Simplify[Cos[3*m*Pi] /. m -> 2*k, Assumptions -> k \[Element] Integers] Out[4]= 1 Best regards, /J.M.