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Re: confused about asserting variable is element of

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg103089] Re: [mg103084] confused about asserting variable is element of
  • From: Bob Hanlon <hanlonr at cox.net>
  • Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 05:54:45 -0400 (EDT)
  • Reply-to: hanlonr at cox.net

funcs = {Simplify, FullSimplify, Refine};

Use Assuming

Assuming[{Element[a, Reals]},
   #[Im[a]]] & /@ funcs

{0,0,0}

Use the Assumptions option 

#[Im[a], Assumptions ->
    Element[a, Reals]] & /@ funcs

{0,0,0}

Use the Assumptions option short form

#[Im[a], Element[a, Reals]] & /@ funcs

{0,0,0}

Or add your assumption to $Assumptions

$Assumptions = Element[a, Reals];

#[Im[a]] & /@ funcs

{0,0,0}


Bob Hanlon

---- dushan <dushanm at spinn.net> wrote: 

=============
I'm still learning Mathematica (using 7.0.1) and don't understand
Mathematica's response.  After finally finding out how to assert that a
variable is real, I tried to verify this by asking Mathematica to show me that
it knew the imaginary part of the variable is zero.  But I couldn't
find a way to do that..  Here're my instructions:

    In[1]:=   a (ESC)el(ESC) Reals
    Out[1]:= a (the element-of symbol) Reals

    In[2]:=   ##Im[a]
    Out[2]:= Im[a]

where '##' is any of {null, Refine[, Simplify[, FullSimplify[}.  I
also tried some other combinations, such as 'a^2 - Re[a]^2', but these
didn't help either.

What am I doing wrong?  How do I verify such things?

Thanks.

- Dushan Mitrovich




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