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Using a variable set elsewhere within a function that has attribute

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg98019] Using a variable set elsewhere within a function that has attribute
  • From: Daan Gerla <daan at gerla.nl>
  • Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 05:41:37 -0500 (EST)
  • Reply-to: daan at gerla.nl

Hello Mathematica users,

I am trying to use a variable defined elsewhere within Manipulate. I 
have assigned an expression to the variable that involves another 
variable. That second variable should not be assigned to anything 
outside of manipulate, however, within Manipulate, I want that second 
variable to change as I drag a slider and anything that uses the first 
variable to change accordingly.  I am not quite sure I am saying this 
right, but this example should make clear what I mean:

ode = x'[t] == r x[t] - x[t]^2;
Manipulate[
 ode,
 {r, 0.1, 1}
 ]

I do not get any warnings or errors, but the result is not as you might 
expect: in the output the equation is displayed without a value for r 
and the slider does nothing.

Manipulate[
 Evaluate[ode],
 {r, 0.1, 1}
 ]

does what you expect. The output contains a value for r which changes as 
the slider is dragged. Now I want to use ode for something else.

Manipulate[
 Plot[x[t] /. NDSolve[{Evaluate[ode], x[0] == 0.1}, x, {t, 0, 10}], {t, 
0, 10}],
 {r, 0, 1}
 ]

Here I get errors:

NDSolve::dsvar: 0.0002042857142857143` cannot be used as a variable. >>
ReplaceAll::reps: {NDSolve[{(x^\[Prime])[0.000204286]==r 
x[0.000204286]-x[<<1>>]^2,x[0]==0.1},x,<<1>>]} is neither a list of 
replacement rules nor a valid dispatch table, and so cannot be used for 
replacing. >>
[...]

It looks like it takes a number for t when it should not, and not a 
number for r when it should.

What I want is of course a plot of x vs. t that changes as I change r by 
dragging the slider. I've tried many things, including changing the 
attributes of Manipulate, but no good results. I am not even sure what 
the problem exactly is...

How do I solve this problem? What is the best way to do what I want to do?

Regards,

Daan


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