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Re: Minimization Algebraically

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg103416] Re: Minimization Algebraically
  • From: Szabolcs Horvát <szhorvat at gmail.com>
  • Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:49:48 -0400 (EDT)
  • References: <h8vkeh$8un$1@smc.vnet.net> <h9283t$log$1@smc.vnet.net>

On 2009.09.19. 11:26, Szabolcs Horv=E1t wrote:
> On 2009.09.18. 11:38, Bayers, Alexander wrote:
>> I am currently trying to minimize the following function in Mathematica:
>>
>> ((360*(-1 + E^(0.2493150684931507*r0)))/91 - r[L3m])^2
>>
>> Using r0.  When I try to minimize this algebraically using Minimize,
>> however, I receive the following answer:
>>
>> Minimize[((360*(-1 + E^(0.2493150684931507*r0)))/91 - r[L3m])^2, {r0}]
>>
>> Instead of an algebraic answer.  Is there any way to coerce Mathematica
>> to return the algebraic answer through a call to minimize?
>>
>
> Do not use inexact number ("decimals") if you need a symbolic answer.
> Rationalize[] can help to convert the quantities in the expression to
> exact forms.
>
>   From the little information you provided it looks like the function r[]
> was not defined.  Minimize will only work with explicit expressions, it
> can't handle unspecified functions.
>

Actually I made a blunder here, after all r[L3m] should be treated as a
simple number.  I am not sure why Minimize doesn't return an answer
(after using Rationalize on the input).

In[9]:= Rationalize[((360*(-1 + E^(0.2493150684931507*r0)))/91 -
     r[L3m])^2
  ]

Out[9]= (360/91 (-1 + E^(91 r0/365)) - r[L3m])^2

Here let's replace the part 360/91 (-1 + E^(91 r0/365)) with a single
variable p, so the expression to be minimized will be

(p - r[L3m])^2

The solution is obviously p == r[L3m]

The value corresponding for r0 can be obtained using Reduce:

In[11]:= Reduce[360/91 (-1 + E^(91 r0/365)) == r[L3m], r0, Reals]

Out[11]= r[L3m] > -(360/91) &&
  r0 == 365/91 Log[1/360 (360 + 91 r[L3m])]


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