Re: simple pattern match question
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg91167] Re: simple pattern match question
- From: Albert Retey <awnl at gmx-topmail.de>
- Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 07:13:55 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <g7ed78$2po$1@smc.vnet.net>
congruentialuminaire at yahoo.com wrote: > Hello UG: > > I am trying to understand simple pattern rule evaulation. The > following trivial examples baffles me: > > --------------------------------------------------- > In[1]:= f[x_Number] := x ^ 2 > In[2]:= f[3] > Out[2]= f[3] > > In[3]:= f[3.3] > Out[3]= f[3.3] > > In[4]:= NumberQ[3.3] > Out[4]= True > -------------------------------------------------- > Why is it that f[3.3] does not evaluate?? Because neither 3 nor 3.3 have Head Number: In[31]:= Head[3] Out[31]= Integer In[32]:= Head[3.3] Out[32]= Real Also NumberQ and Number are different things, actually Number is only used to define Formats for Read. What you probably want is one of the following: f[x_Real]:=x^2 f[x_Integer]:=x^2 f[x_?NumberQ]:=x^2 (if playing around with these make sure to ClearAll[f] before redefining f, otherwise the definitions will "accumulate"). Note that more often this is useful: f[x_?NumericQ]:=x^2 you will find more information about NumberQ, NumericQ and Heads in the documentation... hth, albert