Re: Mathematica 6.01 does not know one can not divide by 0??
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg107206] Re: [mg107140] Mathematica 6.01 does not know one can not divide by 0??
- From: "David Park" <djmpark at comcast.net>
- Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 03:24:30 -0500 (EST)
- References: <20935297.1265283020598.JavaMail.root@n11>
It's just the old "divide by zero" trap. I think that Mathematica subtracts the rhs from the lhs and eliminates the offending terms right off. eqn = 3 x + 1/(x - 5) == 15 + 1/(x - 5); Solve[eqn] {{x -> 5}} Strictly speaking, Mathematica is correct because: Limit[#, x -> 5] & /@ eqn True But I might learn otherwise. David Park djmpark at comcast.net http://home.comcast.net/~djmpark/ From: zeno [mailto:zeno333 at mindspring.com] I had Mathematica 6.01 try and solve this " equation", and it gives an answer back of 5, which if substituted back into the equation, one would be dividing by 0. Code and result here... NSolve[3*x + (1/(x - 5)) == 15 + (1/(x - 5)), x] {{x -> 5.}}