Subject: coordinate-free or expression simplification
From: Charles James Leonardo Quarra Cappiello
Date: Sat, 09 Nov 2002 16:38:43 -0400
Hi,
Im still very new to maxima. I'm trying to do a vector calculation that
keeps results expressed in terms of geometric invariants like a.b or ||v||.
I tried (unsuccessfully) to do this on Maple 8, but this seems to be tricky
since Maple define vectors as < , ..> objects, which are inherently
coordinate based.
I've tried to do this in two different approachs : Define an alternate dot
product law (ie: a bilinear orderless functional (V x V)->Coefficients and
which is homogenous in the coefficient field) and the other way was doing
all the calculation in a coordinate-basis and then trying to substitute
sub-expressions like Ax * Bx + Ay * By + Az * Bz for variables like dotAB.
How Maxima users are handling coordinate-free calculations? can they be
done? is this done somewhere?
Greetings and thanks for any help! =)
Charles Quarra
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