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Re: numerics

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg27285] Re: numerics
  • From: "John Doty" <jpd at w-d.org>
  • Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 03:31:03 -0500 (EST)
  • Organization: Wampler-Doty Family
  • References: <96iqph$d9j@smc.vnet.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

In article <96iqph$d9j at smc.vnet.net>, Matt.Johnson at autolivasp.com wrote:

> mathematica gurus--
> 
> Here's a frustrating problem, which seems to be simple.  I can calculate
> a matrix by hand and enter it into Solve or Reduce and get the correct
> relationships:
> 
> In[108]:= mat = Partition[{-0.2, 0.1, 0, 0.1, -0.3, 0.1, 0.1, 0.2,
> -0.1}, 3]; Reduce[mat.{x1, x2, x3} == {0, 0, 0}, {x1, x2, x3}] Out[109]=
> x1 == 0.5 x2 && x3 == 2.5 x2
> 
> However, if I try to manipulate the matrix in Mathematica then solve, it
> doesn't work:
> 
> In[110]:= mat1 = Partition[{0.8, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 0.7, 0.2, 0, 0.1, 0.9},
> 3]; imat = IdentityMatrix[Length[mat1]]; newmat = Transpose[mat1] -
> imat; In[113]:= newmat == mat Out[113]= True In[114]:= newmat === mat
> Out[114]= False In[115]:= Reduce[newmat.{x1, x2, x3} == {0, 0, 0}, {x1,
> x2, x3}] Out[115]= x1 == 0. && x2 == 0. && x3 == 0.

You can't reliably do this with approximate numbers:

In[1]:= x = 0.2
Out[1]= 0.2
In[2]:= y = 1 - 0.8      
Out[2]= 0.2

x and y are apparently equal and:

In[3]:= x == y 
Out[3]= True

appears to confirm this. However:

In[4]:= x-y == 0
Out[4]= False

In fact, because of rounding error:

In[5]:= x-y
                  -17
Out[5]= 5.55112 10

The equality test with "x == y" yields "True" because "==" allows for 
some rounding error.

Your "imat" turned out to be exactly singular when reduced. However,
"newmat" did not. In general, you should not count on singularity of 
approximate matrices: your result will depend on rounding error and the 
order in which the reduction is computed.

This is not a particular difficulty with Mathematica: it is a problem 
that any approximate calculation can encounter. Mathematica, however, 
offers a way around it. If you replace your approximate numbers with 
exact numbers (e.g. 1/5 in place of 0.2), you will get the result you want.

-- 
| John Doty		"You can't confuse me, that's my job."
| Home: jpd at w-d.org
| Work: jpd at space.mit.edu


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