[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Re: (x - 1) or (-1 + x)

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg121542] Re: (x - 1) or (-1 + x)
• From: DrMajorBob <btreat1 at austin.rr.com>
• Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:04:55 -0400 (EDT)
• Delivered-to: l-mathgroup@mail-archive0.wolfram.com
• References: <201109180811.EAA06337@smc.vnet.net>
• Reply-to: drmajorbob at yahoo.com

First approach:

x - 1 // TraditionalForm

4 (1 - q) // TraditionalForm

If you do math with the results, you may have to apply TraditionalForm  
again (and again) ((and again)).

(second) Use menu options Cell>Convert to>Traditional form or the key  
sequence Shift-Command-T to format a cell in traditional form.

(third) I believe you can also set the default output (and input) format  
to TraditionalForm, but I have no idea how... and I think you won't always  
like the result. Documentation doesn't make it easy to find this, so I  
haven't.

(fourth) You can use a style sheet that implements the third option.

Bobby

On Sun, 18 Sep 2011 03:11:17 -0500, Ralph Dratman  
<ralph.dratman at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> I feel like a small child asking this, but how can I get Mathematica to  
> say
> (x - 1) instead of  (-1 + x), or to give me
>
>  4 (1 - q)
>
>  instead of the doubly annoying
>
> -4 (-1 + q)  ?
>
> In brief, given the choice, I prefer to look at subtraction rather than
> negation. The binary operator instead of the unary.
>
> I'm not asking Mathematica to read my mind about the way I want every
> possible expression to look, rather I am hoping to find out how to  
> transform
> something I don't like into something I like, in a way that is guaranteed
> not to change the value of the expression.
>
> Ralph Dratman


-- 
DrMajorBob at yahoo.com

• References:
  • (x - 1) or (-1 + x)
    • From: Ralph Dratman <ralph.dratman@gmail.com>