operator for equations, was: Re: [Maxima] Plot options foo=bar vs [foo, bar]
Subject: operator for equations, was: Re: [Maxima] Plot options foo=bar vs [foo, bar]
From: van Nek
Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2006 20:13:16 +0200
Am 9 Jun 2006 um 9:18 hat Robert Dodier geschrieben:
> in the page
> http://maxima.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/New%20Version%20of%20Openmath
> I see you suggest changing the way to specify plot options, e.g.,
>
> plot2d(f(x), x=a:b, plot_format=openmath)
>
> I'm in favor of this.
> Robert
Hi Robert,
if you want to go this way, you have to do
integrate(f(x),x,a,b) ---> integrate(f(x),x=a..b)
sum(f(k),k,a,b) ---> sum(f(k),k=a..b)
makelist(f(k),k,a,b) ---> makelist(f(k),k=a..b)
etc., etc.
you want that?
I have some problems with this syntax from a pedagogical point of view.
In first order Maxima is a program for doing mathematics and not a programming language.
So it would be a good thing to have a syntax close to mathematical notations.
I teach mathematics in school and I am very happy to have an operator "=" for equations
and a different operator for assignment (which is not "=" like in other languages). At the
moment there is a clear definition and understanding of "=" (beside the little problem that
1=1.0 is false). The meaning of x=a..b is far from beeing an equation.
My students (15 - 20 years old) don't have any problems with plot2d( f(x), [x,a,b],
[gnuplot_preamble,"set xyz"] ) or integrate(f(x),x,a,b). This is easy to understand.
If you are looking for intervall notations, no problem. But please don't change "=" from
denoting an equation.In teaching math with maxima it is very important to have a clear
distinction between "=" and ":" !!!
Volker