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Re: Subscript[x,1] value do not get cleared using Clear["Global`*"]

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg104061] Re: Subscript[x,1] value do not get cleared using Clear["Global`*"]
• From: Szabolcs Horvát <szhorvat at gmail.com>
• Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:04:04 -0400 (EDT)
• References: <hb9jt6$ke$1@smc.vnet.net>

On 2009.10.16. 13:03, Nasser M. Abbasi wrote:
> Hello,
> Version 7 on XP Sp2
>
> Before, I used to use Clear["Global`*] to clear all variable, until I just
> found subscripted variable do not get cleared
>
> In[31]:= Remove["Global`*"]
>
> In[33]:= Subscript[a, 1] = 5
>
> In[34]:= Subscript[a, 1]
> Out[34]= 5
>
> In[35]:= Clear["Global`*"]    -->  now clear it
>
> In[36]:= Subscript[a, 1]
> Out[36]= 5      ---->  did not clear
>
> In[37]:= Remove["Global`*"]
> In[38]:= Subscript[a, 1]
>
> Out[38]= Subscript[a, 1]   --->  ok, removed
>
> I find the above a bit strange. I first thought may be becuase I did not
> "symbolize" a_1 using the notation package, but even after doing that, a_1
> would still not be cleared of its value:
>
> In[59]:= Remove["Global`*"]
> In[60]:=<<  "Notation`"
>
> In[61]:= Symbolize[ParsedBoxWrapper[\(a\_1\)]]
>
> In[62]:= Subscript[a, 1] = 5
> Out[62]= 5
>
> In[63]:= Clear["Global`*"]   -->  now clear it
>
> In[64]:= Subscript[a, 1]
> Out[64]= 5   ---->  did not clear
>
> In[65]:= Remove["Global`*"]
>
> In[66]:= Subscript[a, 1]
> Out[66]= Removed[a\[UnderBracket]Subscript\[UnderBracket]1]
>
> I thought the above should make it so that a_1 is now "one" symbol, and it
> should have been cleared?
>
> So now, to make sure I am starting with clean computation, I either will do
> Remove[...] or restart the kernel.
>
> Do you find this strange or is it just me?
>

I usually just restart the kernel.

The reason why Clear["Global`*"] won't clear Subscript[a,1] definitions 
is that they're associated with the symbol Subscript (which is not in 
the Global` context), and not the symbol 'a'.

The reason why Remove["Global`*"] appears to work is that it removes all 
occurrences of the symbol 'a', replacing it with Removed[a] where it 
can't be actually removed (like in the definitions associated with 
Subscript).  Definition[Subscript] will reveal that the definition is 
still there, though altered.