Re: simple pattern match question
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg91178] Re: simple pattern match question
- From: Jean-Marc Gulliet <jeanmarc.gulliet at gmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 07:16:12 -0400 (EDT)
- Organization: The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
- References: <g7ed78$2po$1@smc.vnet.net>
congruentialuminaire at yahoo.com wrote:
> I am trying to understand simple pattern rule evaulation. The
> following trivial examples baffles me:
>
> ---------------------------------------------------
> In[1]:= f[x_Number] := x ^ 2
> In[2]:= f[3]
> Out[2]= f[3]
>
> In[3]:= f[3.3]
> Out[3]= f[3.3]
>
> In[4]:= NumberQ[3.3]
> Out[4]= True
> --------------------------------------------------
> Why is it that f[3.3] does not evaluate??
The pattern x_Number matches any expression with head Number.
The head Number does not exist natively in Mathematica.
The numbers 3 and 3.3 have head Integer and Real, respectively.
In[1]:= Head[3]
Head[3.3]
Out[1]= Integer
Out[2]= Real
So, except if you define some expression with head Number, the
definition of the function f will match nothing and the function f will
return unevaluated in all cases.
The pattern x_?NumberQ tests whether the expression x is a number, that
is if upon evaluation the resulting expression has head Integer,
Rational, Real, or Complex. (Note that Number[Pi] failed.)
The pattern x_?NumericQ test whether the expression x can be evaluated
to a numeric quantity. (NumericQ[Pi] returns True.)
In[3]:= f[x_?NumberQ] := x^2
f[3]
f[3.3]
Out[4]= 9
Out[5]= 10.89
HTH,
-- Jean-Marc