Services & ResourcesWolfram ForumsMathGroup Archive

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Re: Simplifying algebraic expressions

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg66877] Re: Simplifying algebraic expressions
• From: Bill Rowe <readnewsciv at earthlink.net>
• Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 04:09:04 -0400 (EDT)
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

On 6/1/06 at 6:54 AM, aroy at cs.bc.edu (Amitabha Roy) wrote:

>I would like Mathematica to be able to take an expression, say,

>(-1)^{2 x  + 3 y} and be able to simplify to (-1)^y.

>Is there a way one can do this ?

I wonder if you really meant

(-1)^{2 x + 3 y}

instead of

(-1)^(2 x + 3 y)

in any case, the only way to simplify the 2 x + 3 y part to y would be to define x as -y. That is

(-1)^(2 x + 3 y)/.x->-y

will return (-1)^y

Or perhaps you wanted Mathematica to return (-1)^z where z is defined to be 2 x + 3 y? If so

(-1)^(2 x + 3 y) /. (-1)^(n_) :> (-1)^z

will return (-1)^z
--
To reply via email subtract one hundred and four

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: Re: Simplifying algebraic expressions
    • From: Murray Eisenberg <murray@math.umass.edu>