The name "ordinary function" is not very evocative.
In Lisp it presumably means something like the value associated with
symbol-function of some symbol. A procedure that can be called on 0 or more
arguments and returns 0 or more values.
In mathematics, the definition of a function is something associated with
f:A->B with some words in your favorite natural language.
In Maxima the term is used denoting a bunch of things related to verbs,
nouns, commands, evaluation and simplification.
Any "command" could be simplified via tellsimp, for example.
Maybe we could say something more precise??
RJF
> -----Original Message-----
> From: maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu
> [mailto:maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu] On Behalf Of Robert Dodier
> Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 8:51 AM
> To: Stavros Macrakis
> Cc: maxima at math.utexas.edu
> Subject: Re: [Maxima] nintegrate function
>
> On 5/23/07, Stavros Macrakis <macrakis at alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>
> > But should nintegrate even try to be a simplifying
> function? Maybe it just
> > doesn't make sense, and should be a command. The current
> implementation
> > certainly doesn't behave like a simplifying function....
>
> Yeah. I don't think nintegrate should be a simplifying function.
> Just an ordinary function (Maxima or Lisp).
>
> FWIW
> Robert
> _______________________________________________
> Maxima mailing list
> Maxima at math.utexas.edu
> http://www.math.utexas.edu/mailman/listinfo/maxima
>