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Re: Re: Annoying Maximize behaviour

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg64083] Re: [mg64053] Re: Annoying Maximize behaviour
  • From: Pratik Desai <pdesai1 at umbc.edu>
  • Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 01:14:50 -0500 (EST)
  • References: <drf6fs$egp$1@smc.vnet.net> <200601291057.FAA10025@smc.vnet.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Peter Pein wrote:

>Solomon, Joshua schrieb:
>  
>
>>In[1]:=
>>{$Version, $ReleaseNumber}
>>
>>
>>Out[1]=
>>{5.1 for Mac OS X (October 25, 2004),0}
>>
>>In[2]:=
>>Maximize[Exp[-x^2]Sin[x],x]
>>
>>
>>Out[2]=
>>Maximize[Exp[-x^2]Sin[x],x]
>>
>>wouldn't the following output be friendlier?
>>
>>Maximize::choke: No analytic solution found, resorting to numerical methods.
>>Out[2]=
>>{0.396653, {x -> 0.653271}}
>>
>>j
>>    
>>
>
>Hi Joshua,
>
>well, it depends...
>
>  When looking for an exact solution of a problem, Maximize might be part of the
>steps taken by Mathematica. In this case, it would be annoying, because it would
>take great effort to find out, where and - more important - why in the whole
>process of (not) solving the problem the exact methods fail.
>
>  If you want an approximation, use NMaximize. I use to type only the "N" followed
>by Ctrl-L (on Windows and Linux - got no experience with Macs), when an exact
>  
>
I was quite surprised that the following worked
Maximize[Exp[-x^2]*Sin[x],x]//N
 >>{0.396653, {x -> 0.653271}}
It works (N)Integrate as well :-)
 

>Funtion fails.
>
>Cordially,
>   Peter
>
>  
>



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