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

Re: differentiation operator

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg100816] Re: differentiation operator
• From: Peter Breitfeld <phbrf at t-online.de>
• Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:21:03 -0400 (EDT)
• References: <004901c9e9e0$a4ba7900$ee2f6b00$@net> <22643639.1244693328354.JavaMail.root@n11> <h12gbj$e6c$1@smc.vnet.net>

"David Park" wrote:

> Lim Cheung,
>
>  
>
> When I bring up the Classroom Assistant palette, go to the Calculator
> Advanced tab, and press the 2nd button in the 5th row it pastes the partial
> differential form in my notebook. This has the partial symbol with var as a
> subscript and another box to enter the expr. If I fill x into the var box,
> and x^2 into the expr box, and then press Shift-Enter, the entire expression
> will evaluate to obtain 2x.
>
>  
>
> If you type x^2, select it, and then press the palette button, it will paste
> the differential operator on the x^2. You will then still have to fill in
> the x and use Shift-Enter.
>
>  
>
> Does this not evaluate properly for you? If not, there is some bug in your
> installation and you should contact WRI.
>
>  
>
> True, this form does not look exactly like 'd/dx' but I would think it would
> be good enough.
>

The interesting point here is:

I you made your input-cell to be in TraditionalForm by changing its
state with the cell menu or by setting TraditionalForm as default for
input-cells in the preferences, then the following works:

Paste d/d * from the Classroom-Assistant palette "Writing and
Formatting" an fill in the x and in the numerator x^2 you get the
desired result 2x.
This even works, if you enter d x^2/d x using 2-dimensional input

In Standard-Form both yields an error.

But I agree with David, that using the template ESC dt ESC is good enough.
-- 
_________________________________________________________________
Peter Breitfeld, Bad Saulgau, Germany -- http://www.pBreitfeld.de