Re: Simplify
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg32015] Re: Simplify
- From: Erk Jensen <Erk.Jensen at cern.ch>
- Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 04:28:47 -0500 (EST)
- References: <9vmrje$hh7$1@smc.vnet.net>
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Matthias.Bode at oppenheim.de wrote: > > Dear Colleagues, > > why should I not expect MATHEMATICA to (Full)Simplify > > (a^b)^(1/b) or a^b^(1/b) to a? > > Best regards, > > Matthias Bode > Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. KGaA > Koenigsberger Strasse 29 > D-60487 Frankfurt am Main > GERMANY > Tel.: +49(0)69 71 34 53 80 > Mobile: +49(0)172 6 74 95 77 > Fax: +49(0)69 71 34 95 380 > E-mail: matthias.bode at oppenheim.de > Internet: http://www.oppenheim.de Because it is not generally true. E.g. if b=3, (a^3)^(1/3) has three correct answers, namely {a, a Exp[I (2 \[Pi])/3], a Exp[I (4 \[Pi])/3]} Your second notation is probably not what you wanted, since I would read that a^(b^(1/b)) ... Ciao -erk-