Re: Different answers in mathematica and my calculator.
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg125586] Re: Different answers in mathematica and my calculator.
- From: DrMajorBob <btreat1 at austin.rr.com>
- Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:20:11 -0500 (EST)
- Delivered-to: l-mathgroup@mail-archive0.wolfram.com
- References: <201203191000.FAA01033@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: drmajorbob at yahoo.com
-1 has three cube roots, so your expression has three possible results,
all of them correct:
Solve[x^3 == -1, x]
% // ComplexExpand
4/(3 x) /. %
{{x -> -1}, {x -> (-1)^(1/3)}, {x -> -(-1)^(2/3)}}
{{x -> -1}, {x -> 1/2 + (I Sqrt[3])/2}, {x -> 1/2 - (I Sqrt[3])/2}}
{-(4/3), 4/(3 (1/2 + (I Sqrt[3])/2)), 4/(3 (1/2 - (I Sqrt[3])/2))}
Hence, it's not the least surprising if your calculator gives a different
result than Mathematica.
I do think the Solve result above (before applying ComplexExpand) is less
than ideal or complete since, as I said before, -1 has three cube roots,
leaving two of the reported solutions ambiguous. Mathematica chooses a
specific "branch" of the multivalued cube-root function.
Bobby
On Mon, 19 Mar 2012 05:00:46 -0500, Nile <thrasher300 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 4/(3Power[2(-2)+3, (3)^-1])
>
> I get -(4/3) (-1)^(2/3) in Mathematica but only -4/3 on my calculator.
>
>
> N[Sec[8/(8 Sqrt[2])]]/Degree to get Cos^-1 of 8/(8 Sqrt[2]) and it gives
> me 75 deg instead of 45...
>
> I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I tried in Wolfram Alpha and it gives
> me the same thing.
>
> Thank you.
>
> -Francis
>
--
DrMajorBob at yahoo.com
- References:
- Different answers in mathematica and my calculator.
- From: Nile <thrasher300@gmail.com>
- Different answers in mathematica and my calculator.