Services & ResourcesWolfram ForumsMathGroup Archive

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

Workaround for an unexpected behavior of Sum

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg91036] Workaround for an unexpected behavior of Sum
• From: "Jose Luis Gomez" <jose.luis.gomez at itesm.mx>
• Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 03:23:54 -0400 (EDT)

Workaround for an unexpected behavior of Sum

 

Let me describe the problem, before describing the solution (workaround)
that I found.

 

First: Next calculation works fine for me:

 

j = 7;

 

Sum[j^2, {j, 1, n}]

 

Mathematica gave the answer I was expecting (n*(1 + n)*(1 + 2*n))/6, It
means the global j and the dummy index j are actually different That is
o.k., that is what I was expecting

 

HOWEVER Next calculation gives an unexpected answer:

 

Clear[f];

 

j = 7;

 

Sum[f[j], {j, 1, n}]

 

Now Mathematica answers n*f[7]. That is NOT what I was expecting

 

I was expecting that Mathematica will return the Sum unevaluated, Sum[f[j],
{j, 1, n}], and also with j unevaluated, so that the global j and the dummy
index j remain different.

 

NOW MY WORKAROUND FOR THIS "PROBLEM": AUTOMATICALLY CREATE A NEW DUMMY INDEX
IF THERE EXISTS A VARIABLE WITH THE SAME NAME AS THE DUMMY INDEX. Evaluate
this in your Mathematica session:

 

Unprotect[Sum];

Sum[sumando_, before___, {dummyindex_, rest___}, after___] :=

  ReleaseHold[

    Hold[Sum[sumando, before, {dummyindex, rest}, after]] /. 

     HoldPattern[dummyindex] :> 

      Evaluate[

       Unique[ToString[Unevaluated[dummyindex]]]]] /; 

         (dummyindex =!= Unevaluated[dummyindex]); Protect[Sum];

 

Now, after the evaluation of the previous code, Mathematica behaves the way
I was expecting:

 

Clear[f];

 

j = 7;

 

Sum[f[j], {j, 1, n}]

 

This time Mathematica answers Sum[f[j1],{j1,1,n}]. 

The price we have to pay is that the dummy index was renamed.

But it is a DUMMY INDEX, it can have any name.

And the code makes the new name totally new, thanks to the Unique[] command.

AFAIK this code does Not affect the answers of Sum in other cases.

 

I hope this simple solution is somehow useful. 

Notice that the command Integrate has a similar (in my opinion odd)
behavior, mixing dummy integration variables with global variables when the
definite integral cannot be immediately performed. 

 

Best regards!

 

Jose Luis Gomez-Munoz

 

Mexico

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: Workaround for an unexpected behavior of Sum
    • From: Andrzej Kozlowski <akoz@mimuw.edu.pl>