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Re: matrix operations -- shared data vs copied

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg65935] Re: [mg65917] matrix operations -- shared data vs copied
• From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
• Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2006 06:01:39 -0400 (EDT)
• Organization: Mathematics & Statistics, Univ. of Mass./Amherst
• References: <200604231017.GAA11827@smc.vnet.net>
• Reply-to: murray at math.umass.edu
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

A bit of simple experimentation will give you answers (as will carefully 
reading the documentation!).  And it has nothing whatsoever to do with 
the fact that you're working with a matrix.

   a = 1
1
   b = a
1
   b
1
   a = 2
2
   b
1

However, if you use SetDelayed (abbreviation := ) instead of Set 
(abbreviation = ) for giving b a value, then what happens is different:

   a = 1
1
   b := a
   b
1
   a = 2
2
   b
2


robert.dodier at gmail.com wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I'm trying to get a handle on what Mathematica does with some
> matrix operations. I wasn't able to figure it out by web or newsgroups
> search so maybe you can help.
> 
> Suppose A is a matrix. Consider these operations.
> 
> (1) B = A
> 
> (2) myfunction[A]
> 
> (3) B = (some way of extracting column 1 of A)
> 
> (4) B = (some way of pasting A onto another matrix)
> 
> The question of interest is whether modifying elements of A also
> modify B after operations (1), (3), and (4), and whether modifications
> of the formal argument within myfunction also modify the actual
> argument (namely A).
> 
> In some math languages, B = A and myfunction[A] actually create
> copies of A, likewise row/column extraction and pasting matrices
> together. But that's not the only way to do it; I'm trying to figure
> out where Mathematica stands on this point.
> 
> Thanks for any pointers or other information.
> 
> Robert Dodier
> 
> 

-- 
Murray Eisenberg                     murray at math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower      phone 413 549-1020 (H)
University of Massachusetts                413 545-2859 (W)
710 North Pleasant Street            fax   413 545-1801
Amherst, MA 01003-9305

• References:
  • matrix operations -- shared data vs copied
    • From: robert.dodier@gmail.com