Re: Mathematica 6.01 does not know one can not divide by 0??
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg107206] Re: [mg107140] Mathematica 6.01 does not know one can not divide by 0??
- From: "David Park" <djmpark at comcast.net>
- Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 03:24:30 -0500 (EST)
- References: <20935297.1265283020598.JavaMail.root@n11>
It's just the old "divide by zero" trap. I think that Mathematica subtracts
the rhs from the lhs and eliminates the offending terms right off.
eqn = 3 x + 1/(x - 5) == 15 + 1/(x - 5);
Solve[eqn]
{{x -> 5}}
Strictly speaking, Mathematica is correct because:
Limit[#, x -> 5] & /@ eqn
True
But I might learn otherwise.
David Park
djmpark at comcast.net
http://home.comcast.net/~djmpark/
From: zeno [mailto:zeno333 at mindspring.com]
I had Mathematica 6.01 try and solve this " equation", and it gives an
answer back of 5, which if substituted back into the equation, one
would be dividing by 0. Code and result here...
NSolve[3*x + (1/(x - 5)) == 15 + (1/(x - 5)), x]
{{x -> 5.}}