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Re: Ploting a changing constant

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg64778] Re: [mg64740] Ploting a changing constant
  • From: Mary Beth Mulcahy <Mary.Mulcahy at colorado.edu>
  • Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 19:27:51 -0500 (EST)
  • References: <NDBBJGNHKLMPLILOIPPOIEEJEOAA.djmp@earthlink.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Thanks for your response.  I was curious if you wouldn't mind saying exactly
how y[x_, a_] is different from y[x_][a_] (note placement of brackets).  How
does Mathematica interpret them differently?  I somehow picked up the habit of
always defining my functions as the first example and haven't had any trouble.
In a similar example someone else sent me I tried both y[x_, a_] and y[x_]
[a_].  They gave the same result, so maybe there isn't a difference?  Thanks.

Mary Beth

Quoting David Park <djmp at earthlink.net>:

> Mary Beth,
>
> Plot allows a list of functions to plot. This can be generated by Table but
> you must Evaluate the Table statement.
>
> y[x_, a_] := a x
>
> Plot[Table[y[x, a], {a, 10, 50, 10}] // Evaluate, {x, 0, 33}];
>
> I would like to call 'a' a parameter and I would tend to define such a
> (different) function in the following manner.
>
> Clear[y]
> y[a_][x_] := x^a
>
> Then you can easily write the derivative of the function as...
>
> y[2]'[x]
> 2 x
>
> If you wanted to plot a series of curves with different values of a, but not
> necessarily evenly spaced, then you could use MapThread. Here is an example.
>
> Plot[MapThread[y[#][x] &, {{0, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5}}] // Evaluate, {x, 0, 1},
>     Frame -> True];
>
> If you wanted to plot the derivatives then you could use...
>
> Plot[MapThread[y[#]'[x] &, {{0, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5}}] // Evaluate, {x, 0, 1},
>     PlotRange -> {0, 4},
>     Frame -> True];
>
> David Park
> djmp at earthlink.net
> http://home.earthlink.net/~djmp/
>
>
> From: Mary Beth Mulcahy [mailto:Mary.Mulcahy at colorado.edu]
To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
>
> OK, so this has to be an easy one.  I am trying to plot a function several
> times
> for a variety of values of a constant.  For example:
>
> y[x_, a_]:=a*x
>
> I want to plot a=10, a=20 overlaying one another.  Currently I simply
> rewrite
> the equation however many times I need to change the variable.  For example:
>
> DisplayTogether[Plot[y[x, 10], {x, 0, 33}],Plot[y[x,20], {x, 0,
> 33}],Plot[y[x,30], {x, 0, 33}],Plot[y[x,40], {x, 0, 33}],Plot[y[50], {x, 0,
> 33}]]
>
> I'm plotting this equation 15 times with a increasing in steps of ten.
> Seems to
> me there should be a single command to do this rather than cut and paste 10
> times (and then go back in to change the variable by hand).  Something like
> in
> Sum[] where you can state the beginingvalue, end value and step size.
>
> Thanks for the help.
>
> mary beth
>
>
>
>
> --
> Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
> University of Colorado
> Chemistry 76
> Boulder, CO  80309-0215
>
> (303) 492-0579
>
>


--
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Colorado
Chemistry 76
Boulder, CO  80309-0215

(303) 492-0579


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