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Re: Annoying Maximize behaviour

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg64053] Re: Annoying Maximize behaviour
• From: Peter Pein <petsie at dordos.net>
• Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 05:57:30 -0500 (EST)
• References: <drf6fs$egp$1@smc.vnet.net>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Solomon, Joshua schrieb:
> In[1]:=
> {$Version, $ReleaseNumber}
> 
> 
> Out[1]=
> {5.1 for Mac OS X (October 25, 2004),0}
> 
> In[2]:=
> Maximize[Exp[-x^2]Sin[x],x]
> 
> 
> Out[2]=
> Maximize[Exp[-x^2]Sin[x],x]
> 
> wouldn't the following output be friendlier?
> 
> Maximize::choke: No analytic solution found, resorting to numerical methods.
> Out[2]=
> {0.396653, {x -> 0.653271}}
> 
> j

Hi Joshua,

well, it depends...

  When looking for an exact solution of a problem, Maximize might be part of the
steps taken by Mathematica. In this case, it would be annoying, because it would
take great effort to find out, where and - more important - why in the whole
process of (not) solving the problem the exact methods fail.

  If you want an approximation, use NMaximize. I use to type only the "N" followed
by Ctrl-L (on Windows and Linux - got no experience with Macs), when an exact
Funtion fails.

Cordially,
   Peter

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: Re: Annoying Maximize behaviour
    • From: Pratik Desai <pdesai1@umbc.edu>