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Re: How to Enable Automatic Recalculation

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg109860] Re: How to Enable Automatic Recalculation
  • From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
  • Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 20:17:03 -0400 (EDT)

There IS a "simple" answer. Actually, two answers. it used to be that 
the only way to do this was to use SetDelayed ( := ) for the symbol you 
wanted to be recalculated whenever you changed another variable whose 
values was specified by Set ( = ).  Since Mathematica 6, you also have 
the more sophisticated method of using Dynamic quantities.

    (* method 1: use SetDelayed instead of Set for b *)
    a = 5;
    b := 3 + a
    b
8
    a = Pi;
    b
3 + Pi


   (* method 2: use Dynamic *)
   Clear[a,b]
   Dynamic[a]
a
   a = 3;  (* preceding output changes to 3 *)
   b = 3 + a
6
   a = Pi;
   b
3 + Pi

   (* method 3: another way to use Dynamic *)
   Clear[a,b]
   a = 3;
   Dynamic[b = 3 + a]
6
   a = Pi;  (* preceding ouptput changes to 3 + Pi *)
   b
3 + Pi



On 5/19/2010 7:01 AM, Victor Roberts wrote:
> I'm new to Mathematica, so perhaps there is a simple answer
> to this question.
>
> How to I set Mathematica so that when I change the value
> assigned to a variable it will automatically change all
> later calculations that use that variable.
>
> For example, if I set
>
> a = 5
>
> and
>
> b = 3 + a
>
> I would like the value of b updated each time I change the
> value of a.
>
> Right how, I need to recalculate each and every expression
> that uses the variable a if I change its value.  There must
> be a better way.
>
>
> --
> Vic Roberts
> Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.
>

-- 
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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