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

Re: Re: Eliminating common factors?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg93409] Re: [mg93371] Re: Eliminating common factors?
• From: Andrzej Kozlowski <akoz at mimuw.edu.pl>
• Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 04:07:38 -0500 (EST)
• References: <gemjk2$4v5$1@smc.vnet.net> <gepb1g$sg6$1@smc.vnet.net> <200811050954.EAA28041@smc.vnet.net>

On 5 Nov 2008, at 18:54, AES wrote:

> In article <gepb1g$sg6$1 at smc.vnet.net>, SigmundV <sigmundv at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Well, any of Expand, Simplify, Together, Apart ... will do (at least
>> with the actual expression, you posted). However, why did you post  
>> the
>> expression in TeX syntax? Wouldn't it be easier to type 4(a/4+b/4 c)?
>
> Since this has been asked twice:  I just wanted to emphasize that the
> output was appearing as two *display fractions*, i.e. something like
>
>         a                 b
> 4 (  ------    +     ------------  )
>        4                4 c
>
> in case it made any difference; and I wanted do this without messing
> with typing something like the above, and worrying about whether it
> would display properly with different fonts that were or were not
> monospaced.
>
> [The math and computer gurus posting on this group sometimes seem to
> assume everyone will know their arcane lingo; I was assuming they  
> would
> know at least some basic TeX syntax, since it's a lingua franca for
> every colleague (and grad student) that I know.]
>


This argument might have carry some weight if your question concerned  
some general mathematical or computer science problem, for which  
purpose it is not unreasonable to assume that TeX remains a lingua  
franca. But your question concerned specific Mathematica input so  
anybody who might want to answer it would have to type in your example  
starting from scratch (with all the possible problems of  
misinterpretation or typos that this entails) instead of simply  
copying your input from your post and pasting into Mathematica. I  
don't think anyone here (or almost any one) answers Mathematica  
related question without actually running posted examaples in  
Mathematica (and if they do then I think they would actually be more  
helpful if they refrained from posting any answers), so the issue
> whether it would display properly with different fonts that were or  
> were not
> monospaced."

is completely irrelevant.

Andrzej Kozlowski

• References:
  • Re: Eliminating common factors?
    • From: AES <siegman@stanford.edu>