Re: MatrixForm affects values instead of only printing
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg100317] Re: [mg100298] MatrixForm affects values instead of only printing
- From: Bob Hanlon <hanlonr at cox.net>
- Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 07:05:34 -0400 (EDT)
- Reply-to: hanlonr at cox.net
You included MatrixForm as part of the definition of test2 test2 = {-3, 7, 5} // MatrixForm MatrixForm[{-3, 7, 5}] ?test2 Global`test2 test2=MatrixForm[{-3,7,5}] You want MatrixForm applied to the output not the definition, i.e., (test2 = {-3, 7, 5}) // MatrixForm MatrixForm[{-3, 7, 5}] ?test2 Global`test2 test2={-3,7,5} test2[[3]] 5 Bob Hanlon ---- summer <summertan at hotmail.com> wrote: ============= Here is the example: test1={-3, 7, 5} test1[[3]] returns the list and 5 as expected; test2={-3, 7, 5}//MatrixForm test2[[3]] returns a column vector and error: "part 3 of blah blah doesn't exist". The actual list itself is test2[[1]]. To get the right 3rd element I have to do: test2[[1,3]] which returns 5 as expected. The problem is MatrixForm is NOT supposed to change the expression it is applied on according to the manual. Is that a bug or there's logical explanation?