Re: Sometimes <space> means multiple , sometimes not
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg75363] Re: Sometimes <space> means multiple , sometimes not
- From: Jens-Peer Kuska <kuska at informatik.uni-leipzig.de>
- Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 03:37:32 -0400 (EDT)
- Organization: Uni Leipzig
- References: <f0n6su$p9d$1@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: kuska at informatik.uni-leipzig.de
Hi,
a) operators like "+" and "*" have a priority value that
deterimines that a*b+c is translated into
Plus[Times[a,b],c] and *not* into Times[a,Plus[b,c]]
b) the space as multiplication operator has a very low priority
(lower than "*") and so in your examples the higher priority
of "+" and "-" supersede the " " operation.
Regards
Jens
siewsk at bp.com wrote:
> As a newbie, I was taught that <space> character in Mathematica means
> multiple. But sometimes it does not.
>
> For example:
>
> 4<space>2 gives 8
>
> but
>
> -4<space>-2 does not give -8
>
> This strange behavior can be show below
>
> In[1]:= 4 2 (* 4<space>2 *)
> Out[1]= 8
>
> In[2]:= 4 +2 (* 4<space>+2 *)
> Out[2]= 6
>
> In[3]:= +4 2 (* +4<space>2 *)
> Out[3]= 8
>
> In[4]:= +4 +2 (* +4<space>+2 *)
> Out[4]= 6
>
> In[5]:= +4 -2 (* +4<space>-2 *)
> Out[5]= 2
>
> In[6]:= 4 -2 (* 4<space>-2 *)
> Out[6]= 2
>
> In[7]:= -4 -2 (* -4<space>-2 *)
> Out[7]= -6
>
> In[8]:= -4 2 (* -4<space>2 *)
> Out[8]= -8
>
>