35.1.1 Usage

To construct a set with members a_1, ..., a_n, write set(a_1, ..., a_n) or {a_1, ..., a_n}; to construct the empty set, write set() or {}. In input, set(...) and { ... } are equivalent. Sets are always displayed with curly braces.

If a member is listed more than once, simplification eliminates the redundant member.

(%i1) set();
(%o1)                          {}
(%i2) set(a, b, a);
(%o2)                        {a, b}
(%i3) set(a, set(b));
(%o3)                       {a, {b}}
(%i4) set(a, [b]);
(%o4)                       {a, [b]}
(%i5) {};
(%o5)                          {}
(%i6) {a, b, a};
(%o6)                        {a, b}
(%i7) {a, {b}};
(%o7)                       {a, {b}}
(%i8) {a, [b]};
(%o8)                       {a, [b]}

Two would-be elements x and y are redundant (i.e., considered the same for the purpose of set construction) if and only if is(x = y) yields true. Note that is(equal(x, y)) can yield true while is(x = y) yields false; in that case the elements x and y are considered distinct.

(%i1) x: a/c + b/c;
                              b   a
(%o1)                         - + -
                              c   c
(%i2) y: a/c + b/c;
                              b   a
(%o2)                         - + -
                              c   c
(%i3) z: (a + b)/c;
                              b + a
(%o3)                         -----
                                c
(%i4) is (x = y);
(%o4)                         true
(%i5) is (y = z);
(%o5)                         false
(%i6) is (equal (y, z));
(%o6)                         true
(%i7) y - z;
                           b + a   b   a
(%o7)                    - ----- + - + -
                             c     c   c
(%i8) ratsimp (%);
(%o8)                           0
(%i9) {x, y, z};
                          b + a  b   a
(%o9)                    {-----, - + -}
                            c    c   c

To construct a set from the elements of a list, use setify.

(%i1) setify ([b, a]);
(%o1)                        {a, b}

Set members x and y are equal provided is(x = y) evaluates to true. Thus rat(x) and x are equal as set members; consequently,

(%i1) {x, rat(x)};
(%o1)                          {x}

Further, since is((x - 1)*(x + 1) = x^2 - 1) evaluates to false, (x - 1)*(x + 1) and x^2 - 1 are distinct set members; thus

(%i1) {(x - 1)*(x + 1), x^2 - 1};
                                       2
(%o1)               {(x - 1) (x + 1), x  - 1}

To reduce this set to a singleton set, apply rat to each set member:

(%i1) {(x - 1)*(x + 1), x^2 - 1};
                                       2
(%o1)               {(x - 1) (x + 1), x  - 1}
(%i2) map (rat, %);
                              2
(%o2)/R/                    {x  - 1}

To remove redundancies from other sets, you may need to use other simplification functions. Here is an example that uses trigsimp:

(%i1) {1, cos(x)^2 + sin(x)^2};
                            2         2
(%o1)                {1, sin (x) + cos (x)}
(%i2) map (trigsimp, %);
(%o2)                          {1}

A set is simplified when its members are non-redundant and sorted. The current version of the set functions uses the Maxima function orderlessp to order sets; however, future versions of the set functions might use a different ordering function.

Some operations on sets, such as substitution, automatically force a re-simplification; for example,

(%i1) s: {a, b, c}$
(%i2) subst (c=a, s);
(%o2)                        {a, b}
(%i3) subst ([a=x, b=x, c=x], s);
(%o3)                          {x}
(%i4) map (lambda ([x], x^2), set (-1, 0, 1));
(%o4)                        {0, 1}

Maxima treats lists and sets as distinct objects; functions such as union and intersection complain if any argument is not a set. If you need to apply a set function to a list, use the setify function to convert it to a set. Thus

(%i1) union ([1, 2], {a, b});
Function union expects a set, instead found [1,2]
 -- an error.  Quitting.  To debug this try debugmode(true);
(%i2) union (setify ([1, 2]), {a, b});
(%o2)                     {1, 2, a, b}

To extract all set elements of a set s that satisfy a predicate f, use subset(s, f). (A predicate is a boolean-valued function.) For example, to find the equations in a given set that do not depend on a variable z, use

(%i1) subset ({x + y + z, x - y + 4, x + y - 5},
                                    lambda ([e], freeof (z, e)));
(%o1)               {- y + x + 4, y + x - 5}

The section Functions and Variables for Sets has a complete list of the set functions in Maxima.

35.1.2 Set Member Iteration

There two ways to to iterate over set members. One way is the use map; for example:

(%i1) map (f, {a, b, c});
(%o1)                  {f(a), f(b), f(c)}

The other way is to use for x in s do

(%i1) s: {a, b, c};
(%o1)                       {a, b, c}
(%i2) for si in s do print (concat (si, 1));
a1 
b1 
c1 
(%o2)                         done

The Maxima functions first and rest work correctly on sets. Applied to a set, first returns the first displayed element of a set; which element that is may be implementation-dependent. If s is a set, then rest(s) is equivalent to disjoin(first(s), s). Currently, there are other Maxima functions that work correctly on sets. In future versions of the set functions, first and rest may function differently or not at all.

Maxima’s orderless and ordergreat mechanisms are incompatible with the set functions. If you need to use either orderless or ordergreat, call those functions before constructing any sets, and do not call unorder.

35.1.3 Authors

Stavros Macrakis of Cambridge, Massachusetts and Barton Willis of the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) wrote the Maxima set functions and their documentation.