Re: Rational[a,b] vs Rational[1,2]
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg116644] Re: Rational[a,b] vs Rational[1,2]
- From: Richard Fateman <fateman at eecs.berkeley.edu>
- Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:45:36 -0500 (EST)
On 2/21/2011 6:04 PM, DrMajorBob wrote: > The head of 1/2 is Rational, but the head of a/b is Times. I know that. What is the head of Rational[a,b]? where a, b are symbols, not numbers... FullForm[Rational[a,b]] says Rational[a,b] also Head says it is Rational. BUT IT IS NOT A Rational. For example, Numerator[Rational[a,b]] is not a, but Rational[a,b] I am aware of the info about atoms and Rational, and Complex too. However, the situation above looks to me like it is hazardous. Do you see what I am getting at? Regards RJF > > a/b//FullForm > > Times[a,Power[b,-1]] > > Replace looks at the arguments of Times, but it doesn't look within > "atoms". Rationals are "atoms", so there you go. > > Help explains this under "Possible Issues", and under "More > Information", it says: > > "You have to use Numerator and Denominator to extract parts of > Rational numbers." > > Apparently that's the ONLY way to extract parts of a Rational, and > that's what we're supposed to glean from "have to". > > First[1/2] returns 1/2 and an error message, for instance. > > Bobby > > On Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:30:54 -0600, Richard Fateman > <fateman at eecs.berkeley.edu> wrote: > >> I find it potentially hazardous that Head[] >> does not distinguish the cases of Head[1/2] >> >> and Head[Rational[a,b]] >> >> Thus these both get transformed... >> >> 1/2 /. Rational[r_,s_]-> foo[r,s] >> >> Rational[a,b] /. Rational[r_,s_] -> foo[r,s] >> >> >> but compare ... >> >> 1/2 /. 2->4 >> >> Rational[a,2] /. 2->4 >> >> I'm not saying I'm surprised by this, of course. >> >> Perhaps Rational[a,b] should be converted to a/b unless both >> a and b are numbers. >> >> Oh, for some fun, try Rational[1/2,4]. >> >> >> RJF >> >> PS, I used version 7. >> >> > >