Services & ResourcesWolfram ForumsMathGroup Archive

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Re: HoldForm, TraditionalForm Bug?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg88704] Re: [mg88664] HoldForm, TraditionalForm Bug?
• From: Carl Woll <carlw at wolfram.com>
• Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 07:09:58 -0400 (EDT)
• References: <200805120843.EAA21243@smc.vnet.net>

David Park wrote:

>Here is a polynomial. Mathematica rearranges the order of the terms.
>
>x y - x^3 - 1
>-1 - x^3 + x y
>
>I would like to display the polynomial without rearranging the order. So I 
>use a HoldForm.
>
>HoldForm[x y - x^3 - 1]
>x y-x^3-1
>
>But then I would also like to display it with TraditionalForm to obtain the 
>single character italics. So I use:
>
>HoldForm[x y - x^3 - 1] // TraditionalForm
>-x^3+y x-1          (actually TraditionalForm but the terms rearranged)
>
>I regard it as a bug that Mathematica rearranges the order of the terms in 
>this expression. Furthermore, if the expression were used in a Plot label, 
>TraditionalForm is now automatically used and the terms will be rearranged.
>
>A workaround is to use:
>
>Style[HoldForm[x y - x^3 - 1], SingleLetterItalics -> True,
> FontFamily -> "Times"]
>x y-x^3-1                    (looks like TraditionalForm)
>
>If I try to use this in a plot it is quite convoluted!
>
>ContourPlot[x y - x^3 + 1 == 0, {x, -5, 5}, {y, -10, 15},
> Exclusions -> {x == 0},
> PlotLabel -> (Style[HoldForm[V[x y - x^3 - 1]],
>     SingleLetterItalics -> True, FontFamily -> "Times"] //
>    StandardForm)]
>
>
>  
>
You could use:

PolynomialForm[HoldForm[V[x y - x^3 - 1]], TraditionalOrder -> False]

to prevent TraditionalForm rearrangement.

Carl Woll
Wolfram Research

• References:
  • HoldForm, TraditionalForm Bug?
    • From: "David Park" <djmpark@comcast.net>