log10, was: bug report, or am I doing something wrong?

> i take it back. i don't think it's such a big deal after all.

I think we all agree that it's not a big deal to add it.  The question
is whether it is a good idea to add it *incompletely*.  Of course it's
easy to do a basic simplifier for log10 -- you make a copy of the
simplog and modify it a bit (or -- better software engineering
practice -- you have a common subfunction with a parameter and even
better, add a 2-argument log).  I think the only new case to add
(maybe) is recognizing factors of 10, so that log10(2100) =>
2+log10(21) and log10(23/120)=>log10(23/12)-1.

> since log10 is typically used for calculations only,
> i don't see any need to reproduce all of the algebraic
> machinery already in place for log base e.

Then why add it at all?

> i'll bet that this much is almost enough:...

So you would find it acceptable that log10(x)/log(x) not simplify?
etc.  Remember RJF's point: the main way that Maxima simplifies things
is by standardizing their form.

              -s