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Pattern matching question

• To: mathgroup at yoda.physics.unc.edu
• Subject: Pattern matching question
• From: dan at chem.bu.edu (Dan Dill)
• Date: Wed, 29 Jan 92 16:39:45 -0500

Can someone help me understand the following pattern matching behavior?

    Mathematica 2.0 for Sun-3 68881
    Copyright 1988-91 Wolfram Research, Inc.
    -- ~/math/Packages added to $Path --
    -- ~/course/eg added to $Path --
    -- X11 windows graphics initialized -- 

    In[1]:= Unprotect[NonCommutativeMultiply]; \
    Clear[NonCommutativeMultiply]; \
    NonCommutativeMultiply[a_, b__, c_] := NonCommutativeMultiply[b, a[c]]; \
    a ** b ** c ** d

    Out[1]= b ** a[c ** d]

I expected (wanted) instead

    c ** b[a[d]],

via

    a ** b ** c ** d  -->  b ** c ** a[d]  -->  c ** b[a[d]],

by analogy with

    In[2]:= op[a_, b__, c_] := op[b, a[c]]; \
    op[a, b, c, d]
    
    Out[2]= op[c, b[a[d]]]


Thanks

Dan
dan at chem.bu.edu