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Mathematica goes Bad

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg59422] Mathematica goes Bad
  • From: "Igor Touzov" <igor at nc.rr.com>
  • Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 03:30:51 -0400 (EDT)
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

I am using Mathematica second year already, and found that each consequative 
version cuts off something good from what mathematica used to be.

Contacting technical support only results in open ticket that never gets 
closed.

Here some simple example you can run for youself:
Timing[
Limit[ (a ^2 k ^2 ArcTan[ ( (-a ^2 ) Cot[ [Theta]] - w y 
Tan[ [Theta]] ) / (a  @ (a ^2 +  ((w - y) ) ^2 + y ^2 
Tan[ [Theta]] ^2 ) )]
 Sin[2  [Theta]] ) / (2 + 2 k ^2 Sin[ [Theta]] ^2 ),  [Theta] -> 0]] )

It takes less then 1 ms on version 5.0, while for version 5.2 it will take 
forever (40.328 Second).

Timing[
Limit[ArcTan[ (a  ((a k - w + y) ) Cot[ [Theta]] + k y ^2 Tan[
 [Theta]] ) / (y  @ (a ^2 +  ((w - y) ) ^2 + y ^2 Tan[ [Theta]] ^2 ) )],
k ->  (+ [Infinity] ), Direction -> 1]] )

It takes 76.782 Second is version 5.0, 100.187 Second in version 5.1.1 and 
104.015 Second in version 5.2.

Not to mention it gives you some absurd results as well:

In version 5.0 computing following

{Limit[ArcTan[k ], k -> + [Infinity], Direction -> -1],
Limit[ArcTan[k ], k -> + [Infinity], Direction -> 1]} results in accurate

{-(Pi/2), Pi/2}

while doing the same in version 5.2 gives you absurd {(Pi/2), Pi/2}.

I could continue with list of examples that shows much more. But it only 
proofs the fact that whoever makes these changes in old good mathematica 
should be discharged. If some day I will get response from technical support 
that contains something meaningful I will post an update. Till then I would 
advise every body not to trust in results you get.






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