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Re: Re: Choosing preferred functions for Trig Simplification?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg83235] Re: [mg83203] Re: Choosing preferred functions for Trig Simplification?
• From: Andrzej Kozlowski <akoz at mimuw.edu.pl>
• Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:16:38 -0500 (EST)
• References: <fhegov$m8b$1@smc.vnet.net> <200711151031.FAA08800@smc.vnet.net>

On 15 Nov 2007, at 19:31, AES wrote:

>> In Simplifying expressions containing multiple Trig functions, I'd  
>> like
>> to persuade Mathematica to limit its vocabulary to Sin, Cos and Tan,
>> and avoid Sec, Csc and Cot (while continuing to put expressions  
>> into the
>> simplest Together form, and so on).
>
>
> Just to add a little fillip to this original query of mine, I'll  
> make a
> the following challenge/good faith offer:
>
> If any regular posters to either of these groups can identify any
> published optics or e-m theory text in which Snell's Law is written as
>
>       n1 Csc[ theta2 ]  =  n2 Csc[ theta1 ]
>
> instead of
>
>       n1 Sin[ theta1 ] = n2 Sin[ theta2 ]
>
> and Brewster's angle is written as
>
>       Cot[ thetaB ] = n1 / n2
>
> instead of
>
>    Tan[thetaB] = n2/n1
>
> (or any algebraically equivalent formulations using "cosecant" or
> cotangent"), I'll write a $20 check to any (one!) U.S. tax-deductible
> charitable organization selected by the first such responder .  
> (Time of
> email receipt in my MacBook Eudora IN box determines "first").
>


It seems to me that with the current exchange rate for the dollar I  
would rather contribute myself (the equivalent of) $20 to tax- 
deductible charity than embark on a book search, particularly of  
books on topics that I know nothing about.

However, if you are just concerned about appearance (as you seem to  
be) then, as I wrote in my original reply - it can be done. For  
example, take a look at this:

http://forums.wolfram.com/mathgroup/archive/2000/Jul/msg00109.html

The proposed solution uses "Format" which is nowadays considered  
rather "low tech" -  with more recent versions of mathematica a more  
pleasing result can be accomplished with MakeBoxes.

Andrzej Kozlowski

• References:
  • Re: Choosing preferred functions for Trig Simplification?
    • From: AES <siegman@stanford.edu>