Re: Mathematica 9--Is This A Joke?
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- Subject: [mg128860] Re: Mathematica 9--Is This A Joke?
- From: Kevin Wheelock <jiyajbe at gmail.com>
- Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2012 04:32:09 -0500 (EST)
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Hi,
Yes, I read the docs after one of my existing documents failed.
(Naively, I initially assumed my docs created in version 8 would work in
version 9...Nope.)
And, your description of how to get units points to my comment about
Usability Testing. In what universe is typing
M := Quantity[ (okay, hold on, let's find out what the unit is;
Control+= 1 Newton --> Wolfram|Alpha, <wait...> Okay, it's "Newtons",
not "Newton") 10, "Newtons"]
better than typing
M := 10 Newtons?
It takes ten times as long, and the resulting code is far less readable.
I have run into several other major bugs already, but I will try to keep
to one topic per post. I don't want to rant--though this Math9 is
testing my restraint...
On Nov 30, 2012, at 6:53 AM, Murray Eisenberg wrote:
> No need to be "horrified". Just read the docs!
>
> Yes, there's not "Newton". But did you notice that "Kilograms",
"Meters", and "Seconds" are all plural. So is "Newtons"!
>
> This is easy to discover: Use the Control + = special input form for
calling Wolfram|Alpha with input
>
> 1 Newton
>
> (You'll get result 1 N.) But then put //InputForm on the cell and
evaluate again. You'll get:
>
> Quantity[1, "Newtons"]
>
>
> On Nov 30, 2012, at 5:57 AM, Kevin Wheelock <jiyajbe at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I just installed Mathematica 9. I am horrified. How did this get past
QA and Usability Testing?
>>
>> Example: Newton's 2nd Law
>>
>> In Mathematica 8:
>>
>> In[1]:= Needs["Units`"]
>>
>> In[2]:= M := 5 Kilogram
>>
>> In[3]:= a := 10 Meter/Second^2
>>
>> In[4]:= F := M a; F
>>
>> Out[4]= (50 Kilogram Meter)/Second^2
>>
>> In[5]:= Convert[%, Newton]
>>
>> Out[5]= 50 Newton
>>
>>
>>
>> In Mathematica 9:
>>
>> In[1]:= M := Quantity[5, "kg"]
>>
>> In[2]:= a := Quantity[10, "m/s^2"]
>>
>> In[3]:= F := M a; F
>>
>> Out[3]= 50kg m/(s)^2
>>
>> {At this point, Mathematica pops up a dialog offering, among other =
things, to let me convert this unit. Okay, I enter "N" in the field I =
was presented}
>>
>> In[4]:= UnitConvert[
>> Quantity[50, ("Kilograms" "Meters")/("Seconds")^2], "N"]
>>
>> During evaluation of In[4]:= UnitConvert::unkunit: Unable to =
interpret unit specification N. >>
>>
>> Out[4]= UnitConvert[50kg m/(s)^2,N]
>>
>> {Huh. Okay, I try other things...}
>>
>> In[5]:= UnitConvert[
>> Quantity[50, ("Kilograms" "Meters")/("Seconds")^2], N]
>>
>> During evaluation of In[5]:= UnitConvert::unkunit: Unable to =
interpret unit specification N. >>
>>
>> Out[5]= UnitConvert[50kg m/(s)^2,N]
>>
>> In[7]:= UnitConvert[
>> Quantity[50, ("Kilograms" "Meters")/("Seconds")^2], "Newton"]
>>
>> During evaluation of In[7]:= UnitConvert::unkunit: Unable to =
interpret unit specification Newton. >>
>>
>> Out[7]= UnitConvert[50kg m/(s)^2,Newton]
>>
>> In[8]:= UnitConvert[
>> Quantity[50, ("Kilograms" "Meters")/("Seconds")^2], "Newtons"]
>>
>> Out[8]= 50N
>>
>> {Ha! I finally guessed right!}
>>
>> Who the HELL thinks this is better????? "M := Quantity[5,"kg"]"??? =
Are you KIDDING ME????
>>
>> Give me back version 8, and QUICKLY!
>
> ---
> Murray Eisenberg =
murray at math.umass.edu
> Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
> Lederle Graduate Research Tower phone 413 549-1020 (H)
> University of Massachusetts 413 545-2838 =
(W)
> 710 North Pleasant Street fax 413 545-1801
> Amherst, MA 01003-9305
>
>
>
>
>