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Re: and color via PlotStyle

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg118527] Re: and color via PlotStyle
  • From: Alan <alan.isaac at gmail.com>
  • Date: Sun, 1 May 2011 06:21:52 -0400 (EDT)
  • Reply-to: comp.soft-sys.math.mathematica at googlegroups.com

On Friday, April 29, 2011 7:33:39 AM UTC-4, Bill Rowe wrote:
> [version 1] works as you are expecting only because the argument to
> Plot is an explicit list. This is the only case where Plot uses
> multiple colors.

(Warning: Mathematica novice ahead.)

I do not understand this statement.  Do you mean the key is
that Plot sees a head of List rather than of ReplaceAll?
But as a novice I want to know, why does Plot see the ReplaceAll?
What is the rule that determines whether or not a command will
evaluate its argument before acting on it?

> Plot always evaluates its arguments by
> first substituting a numeric value for the independent variable
> and only after that is the expression evaluated. The consequence
> it for the argument above, Plot does not see a list of
> expressions. Instead it sees a list of numeric values which is
> treated as a single function with multiple values and
> consequently plotted in a single color.

Can you please restate that.  I'm finding it opaque.
(Also, is there no way to assign multiple colors to
a mutiple valued function?)


> There is no inconsistency in the behavior of Plot. The behavior
> I am describing is well documented even if not always well understood.

Can you please point to the documentation you have in mind here.
Thanks!

Alan Isaac


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