Good day Richard,
> First of all, we can agree that your specific example is a bug (...)
Great. This problem and all "similar enough" problems that Maxima cannot
solve should be considered as candidate for a "wish list".
> Next let us talk about your design for a student system. As I
> understand it, you don't want complex numbers, and therefore
> you would tell students who learn about the quadratic formula
> that the computer can't use it, because x^2+1=0 has no roots.
> So they would learn that Macsyma, and perhaps computers
> in general, are totally lame when it comes to mathematics.
Oh now! That's so rhetorical!
Let us give all roots if we can (including complexe ones). That's fine
by me. Let just never use the complex numbers as an excuse for *not*
solving a problem! That's how it all started. I was told Maxima could
not solve problems with "exp" in it because "exp" wasn't one-to-one. If
working with complex numbers mean that we cannot solve some easy and
certainly solvable equation, please, let not use them. If, on the other
hand, you propose we use complex numbers in such a way as to give as
many solutions as possible, then I'm applauding!
> If you wish to design a computer system around such assumptions,
> you are free to do so. I hope you keep your design entirely
> separable from the system that most people would use.
I have no intention of building anything around anything.
My point is that I don't think we need a student edition. I get
the feeling that either someone wasn't taking me seriously or else
thought I was having fun.
There are things that make sense. Like the fact that SCSIMP doesn't
simplify sin(x) ^2 + cos(x) ^2 to 1 because there is another function
for it. It makes sense to me. The fact that you have various switches
that you can turn on and off. That makes sense. It makes using the
software more difficult, but it makes sense.
However, I will refuse to buy the argument going around : "Maxima is for
real men and real men solve and simplify manually". This will never fly
with me.
--
Daniel Lemire, Ph.D.
http://www.ondelette.com