RE: Sort with -Infinity fails
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg73867] RE: [mg73822] Sort with -Infinity fails
- From: "Tony Harker" <a.harker at ucl.ac.uk>
- Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 06:34:44 -0500 (EST)
The problem is that Sort is not a numeric function -- but if you define your own comparison function it can be: In[153]:= l={2,-Infinity,-E,-1,0,1,E,Infinity,-2}; Sort[l] Out[154]= {-2,-1,0,1,2,-\[ExponentialE],\[ExponentialE],-∞,∞} In[155]:= Sort[l,#1<#2&] Out[155]= {-∞,-\[ExponentialE],-2,-1,0,1,2,\[ExponentialE],∞} In[159]:= Sort[l,Less] Out[159]= {-∞,-\[ExponentialE],-2,-1,0,1,2,\[ExponentialE],∞} Tony Dr A.H. Harker Department of Physics and Astronomy University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT ]->-----Original Message----- ]->From: Tom Aldenberg [mailto:Tom.Aldenberg at rivm.nl] ]->Sent: 01 March 2007 11:17 ]->To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net ]->Subject: [mg73822] Sort with -Infinity fails ]-> ]->Dear MathGroup, ]-> ]->Minus Infinity (-Infinity) is smaller than -8, but Sort does ]->not sort it as expected. ]->Is there a Real minus Infinity? ]-> ]-> ]->In[75]:= ]-> -Infinity < -8 ]->Out[75]= ]-> True ]-> ]->In[76]:= ]-> Sort[{-Infinity, -8, 5}] ]->Out[76]= ]-> {-8, 5, -∞} ]-> ]-> ]->Regards, ]-> ]->Tom Aldenberg ]-> ]->_____________________________________________________________ ]->_______________ ]-> ]->DISCLAIMER: http://www.rivm.nl/disclaimer.htm ]-> ]-> ]->