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Re: Re: What does & mean?

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg107104] Re: [mg107060] Re: What does & mean?
  • From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
  • Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 06:07:47 -0500 (EST)
  • Organization: Mathematics & Statistics, Univ. of Mass./Amherst
  • References: <hk6d22$m61$1@smc.vnet.net> <201002020824.DAA08539@smc.vnet.net>
  • Reply-to: murray at math.umass.edu

Moreover, typing & in the search bar of the Documentation Center brings 
up a list of three items the third of which is the relevant Function link.

On 2/2/2010 3:24 AM, schochet123 wrote:
> There are indeed many shortcut symbols that take a while for a new
> user of Mathematica to learn. Fortunately, the built-in help system
> recognizes them.
> To access help, type ? followed by the name of the Function or symbol
> for which you want information. You can even enter partial information
> with * as a wildcard to look up information about functions whose name
> you don't quite remember.
>
> In this case type
>
> ?&
>
> followed by shift-enter or whatever you use to get evaluation on your
> system, which yields the explanation that&  is the shortcut symbol for
> the function named Function.
>
> Steve
>
>
> On Feb 1, 1:14 pm, Michael Knudsen<micknud... at gmail.com>  wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have recently bought Mathematica, and I have a really tough time
>> getting started. I'm reading the various documents found under
>> "Complete Documentation" at the Mathematica homepage, but it doesn't
>> feel like the right place to start.
>>
>> For example, I'm now trying to solve some simple differential
>> equations, and the documentation provides the following example:
>>
>> A = {{4, -6}, {1,-1}};
>>
>> X[t_] = {x[t], y[t]};
>> system = MapThread[#1 == #2&, {X'[t], A.X[t]}];
>>
>> sol = DSolve[system, {x,y}, t]
>>
>> However, there is no explanation of how&  works here (and it isn't in
>> the MapThread documentation either). Where should one start reading in
>> order to understand basic constructs like this? This particular
>> example is really nasty, since&  is generally ignored by search
>> engines.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Michael Knudsen
>
>

-- 
Murray Eisenberg                     murray at math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower      phone 413 549-1020 (H)
University of Massachusetts                413 545-2859 (W)
710 North Pleasant Street            fax   413 545-1801
Amherst, MA 01003-9305


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