MathGroup Archive 2002

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Search the Archive

Re: PlusMinus Operator Question

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg38367] Re: PlusMinus Operator Question
  • From: Jens-Peer Kuska <kuska at informatik.uni-leipzig.de>
  • Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 04:09:09 -0500 (EST)
  • Organization: Universitaet Leipzig
  • References: <at9eaq$q7a$1@smc.vnet.net>
  • Reply-to: kuska at informatik.uni-leipzig.de
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Hi,

a) there is no standard package 
b)

PlusMinus /: a_*PlusMinus[v_, d_] := PlusMinus[a*v, a*d]

BTW PlusMinus[] is for typesetting not for calculations,
you have to do your error propagation by your self

Regards
  Jens

TerryH wrote:
> 
> Hi All:
>    How can I get Mathematica 4.2 to do simple multipliction thru
> PlusMinus operators?
> For example, suppose I have a 3-dimensional vector with component
> tolerances specified:
> 
>    In[4]:=       va = {{4.10 ± 0.057}, {-3.16 ± 0.796}, {5.09 ± .250}}
>    Out[4]:=
> {{4.1\[PlusMinus]0.057},{-3.16\[PlusMinus]0.796},{5.09\[PlusMinus]0.25}}
> 
>    In[5]:=      FullForm[va]
>    Out[5]://FullForm=
> 
> List[List[PlusMinus[4.1`,0.057`]],List[PlusMinus[-3.16`,0.796`]],
> 
> List[PlusMinus[5.09`,0.25`]]]
> 
>    In[6]:=      5.2*va
>    Out[6]:=   {{5.2 (4.1\[PlusMinus]0.057)},{5.2
> (-3.16\[PlusMinus]0.796)},{5.2 (5.09\
>                            \[PlusMinus]0.25)}}
> 
> However, what I want is (for the first component of the vector, va) is
>      5.2*4.1 ± (5.2*0.057)
> or, equivalently
>     21.32 ± 0.2964
> 
> Is there a standard package to do this?  I wasn't able to find anything
> of help in
> Section 1.10 or 3.10 of the Wolfram Reference.  How does one assign
> meaning to the
> PlusMinus operator to do simple arithmetic calculations as shown above?
> 
> Many thanks to all who may respond!
> ....Terry H


  • Prev by Date: Re: FindMinimun Function
  • Next by Date: Programming language difficulties.
  • Previous by thread: Re: PlusMinus Operator Question
  • Next by thread: RE: PlusMinus Operator Question