Re: pattern matching against the Dt function?
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg85263] Re: pattern matching against the Dt function?
- From: "Steve Luttrell" <steve at _removemefirst_luttrell.org.uk>
- Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2008 05:54:56 -0500 (EST)
- References: <fo6h46$r20$1@smc.vnet.net>
You need to use HoldPattern.
In[1]:= {f[a],Dt[b]}/.HoldPattern[Dt[n_]]->n
Out[1]= {f[a],b}
Stephen Luttrell
West Malvern, UK
"Adam M." <adamm at san.rr.com> wrote in message
news:fo6h46$r20$1 at smc.vnet.net...
> Hello,
>
> I'm having trouble matching the Dt function with a pattern, even though
> it works for all other functions I've tried.
>
> (*It doesn't match Dt[b] here.*)
> In[101]:= {f[a], Dt[b]} /. Dt[n_]->n
> Out[101]= {f[a], Dt[b]}
>
> (*But it matches f[a] with no problem.*)
> In[100]:= {f[a], Dt[b]} /. f[n_]->n
> Out[100]= {a, Dt[b]}
>
> (*In a process of elimination, I tried another built-in function, D, and
> it worked fine.*)
> In[99]:= {f[a], D[b]} /. D[n_]->n
> Out[99]= {f[a], b}
>
> (*I tried another function more than one character long, Sin, and that
> works.*)
> In[102]:= {f[a], Sin[b]} /. Sin[n_]->n
> Out[102]= {f[a], b}
>
> (*The full forms all seem to follow the same pattern.*)
> In[103]:= Sin[b] // FullForm
> Out[103]//FullForm= Sin[b]
>
> In[104]:= Dt[b] // FullForm
> Out[104]//FullForm= Dt[b]
>
> In[105]:= f[b] // FullForm
> Out[105]//FullForm= f[b]
>
> (*I thought it might be related to the evaluation of the Dt function, so
> I tried Holding it. No luck.*)
> In[111]:= {f[a], Hold[Dt[b]]} /. Dt[n_]->n
> Out[111]= {f[a], Hold[Dt[b]]}
>
> (*However, it has no problem matching f[a] in a Hold.*)
> In[112]:= {Hold[f[a]], Dt[b]} /. f[n_]->n
> Out[112]= {Hold[a], Dt[b]}
>
> (*I tried looking at the attributes to find out if there was something
> special about the Dt function, but it doesn't seem like it...*)
> In[116]:= Attributes[Sin]
> Out[116]= {Listable, NumericFunction, Protected}
>
> In[117]:= Attributes[D]
> Out[117]= {Protected, ReadProtected}
>
> In[118]:= Attributes[Dt]
> Out[118]= {Protected}
>
> I've read every section on pattern matching in the documentation center,
> and I'm at a complete loss to explain why I can't seem to match the Dt
> function with the Dt[n_] pattern when I can match these other functions.
> I know I can use the _Dt pattern to match it, but then I don't get
> control over matching the arguments...
>
> Thank you.
>
> Very curious,
> -- Adam M.
>