adding inequalities



On Thu, Aug 14, 2003 at 03:43:59PM -0400, Stavros Macrakis wrote:
> Alexander, as I said:
> 
> > > > There is an "ineq" share file, but that is just for convenience in
> > > > *manipulating* inequalities, allowing e.g. x*(a<b) => x*a<x*b (if 
> > > > x>0).
> 
> That is, loading ineq will not help in evaluating inequalities.  The
> strengths and weaknesses of is/sign/asksign all come directly from the
> Lisp code in Maxima.
> 
> As you observe, Maxima is not very strong in evaluating inequalities.
> Improving that will take some work.  In particular, there is currently
> no general-purpose deduction mechanism that would allow Maxima to use
> axioms directly -- it currently operates entirely though algorithmic
> logic.  Perhaps you would be interested in contributing to one of these
> areas?

Stavros, 
you are overestimating my skills. A suitable person should be
familiar with lisp and with the theory of logical inference. I do not satisfy
these criteria, even if some physicists and (more often) biologists
consider me as good in math ;-)

At the same time, it would be great if elements of the logical inference
would be included in Maxima.

By the way, it seems, that line

[v, ev(v), v: 'vv2, v, ev(v)] =>  [vv1, vvv1, vv2, vv2, vvv2]

from your message on Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2003 22:45:51 -0400

should look like this

[v, ev(v), v: 'vv2, v, ev(v)] =>  [vv1, vvv1, vv2, vv2, vv2]

Am I right?

With best regards,
--
Alexander