Re: Solve Limitations
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg62980] Re: [mg62963] Solve Limitations
- From: Andrzej Kozlowski <akoz at mimuw.edu.pl>
- Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 06:02:49 -0500 (EST)
- References: <200512091010.FAA05489@smc.vnet.net>
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
On 9 Dec 2005, at 19:10, Marcelo Mayall wrote:
>
> Let's suppose that we are interested in the roots analytic
> expression of
> the following function:
> In[1] := f = a x + b x^(3/2) + c;
> The function Solve could be used:
> In[2] := sol = Solve[f==0, x];
> Defining the values of the constants a, b, c would return the
> following numeric values:
> In[3] := froots = Solve[f==0, x]/. {a->1, b->1, c->1} //N
> Out[3] = {{x-> 2.1479}, {x-> -0.57395 + 0.368989 I}, {x-> -0.57395
> - 0.368989 I}}
> However, f is not null for those values and therefore, these are
> not the roots of f:
> In[4] := f/. froots/. {a-> 1, b-> 1, c-> 1} //Chop
> Out[4] = {6.2958, 0, 0}
> At first, it seems that the function Solve doesn't take
> appropriately in
> consideration the term in square root.
> Some idea to obtain the correct analytic solution of f ??? Or, in
> fact, this a limitation of the function Solve???
>
> Thanks,
> Marcelo Mayall
>
>
There is no way, in general, to avoid getting so called "parasite"
solutions in parametric equations with radicals. This is not a
limitation of Solve but of known mathematics.
If your equation has numerical coefficients then the option
VerifySolutions->True will usually (but not always) insure that the
parasite solutions are eliminated.
Andrzej Kozlowski
- References:
- Solve Limitations
- From: "Marcelo Mayall" <mmayall@bol.com.br>
- Solve Limitations