Firstly, let me say that I'm not a math god.
I love math, I just don't do enough of it to be ANY good at it.
> and with a little more manipulation, we get:
>
>
> 2 2 2 2 2 2
> (x2 - x1) (y3 + x3 ) - (x3 - x1) (y2 + x2 ) + (x3 - x2) (y1 + x1 )
>
This is supposed to be the solution for b, right ?
Lets consider a circle with origin 1,1 and radius 1. The following x,y
pairs will be on the circle:
x1,y1 = 2,1
x2,y2 = 1,0
x3,y3 = 0,1
Your equation filled in is:
(1^2-2)(1^2+0^2) - (0-2)(0^2+1^2) +(0-1)(1^2+2^2)
= (-1)(1) - (-2)(1) + (-1)(5)
= -1 +2 -5 = -4;
The Maxima solution for r was 2 pages long. I didn't think to simplify
it. Actually, we didn't need the solution for r, so we ignored it. We
didn't simplify the equations a or b; we were just happy to have
solutions ! They were two lines long.
When I started looking for a solution, I was going to use determinants
to solve the matrices until I realized we had a "homogeneous solution"
and that determinants wouldn't work. My math is very rusty. The last
time I did anything with matrices was 10 years ago.
I like what you are demonstrating, but I don't understand the language.
a) What did length(sols) mean ? Is that Maxima speak ? What did you
mean by 2 solutions ? I'm assuming a real and imaginary solution because
we've got an x^2 = 4 situation ? (ie the order of the equation is 2 ?)
b) I assume rval, aval and bval are the r,a and b solutions to the
problem ?
c) What does Part(sols[1],3) mean for example.
I apologize if the content of this email is way beneath the interests of
the audience.
BTW: This equation solution had a very practical application having to
do with the centering of complex circular parts during their assembly
based upon the measurement of points on one of the parts.
Furthermore, I would like to thank the people who replied to my support
request for their assistance as well as the people who have been
involved with the development of this great piece of software. I'll be
using it more in the future, for interest sake, if nothing else.
Kim Lux
--
Kim Lux <lux@diesel-research.com>