----maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu wrote: -----
>I'm attempting to get numerical results by using
>the "float" function. I'm not real clear on how
>it is supposed to work and the results I'm getting
>confuse me even more.
>(%i2) float(%e^(2/3*%pi*%i));
>(%o2) .8660254037844386*%i-0.5
>(%i3) float(%e^(10/21*%pi*%i));
>(%o3) 2.718281828459045^(10*%i*%pi/21)
>
>Why does %o2 turn out to be written directly as a
>complex number, but %o3 not get simplified at all?
We've made progress this year with numerical
evaluation (complex arguments) of trig functions,
but we have more work to do.
>Is there another function I should be using rather
>than "float"?
Yes. Try float(rectform( ... )).
(%i2) rectform(%e^(10/21*%pi*%i));
(%o2) %i*sin((10*%pi)/21)+cos((10*%pi)/21)
(%i3) float(%);
(%o3) 0.99720379718118013*%i+0.074730093586424393
Barton