For some reason my mail reader (Outlook) refuses to display your message. I
was able to read it in another mail reading program.
First of all, your rule is not about the function P[n](x). Your rule is
about *.
Specifically it is a rule about the product of exactly two things, each of
which must be matched.
It is usually a bad idea to write rules on * since simplification of * is
so common.
But if you insist, what you need to do is write a rule that looks like
P1*P2*ANY --> [some function of P1 and P2] * ANY.
Also, this rule will not work for
P1^2 which does not involve "*" at all.
So you must write a rule for P1^2*ANY also.
You may find the letrule facility to be better.
Also, it would help if you stated what you tried exactly and how it failed,
including commands.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu
> [mailto:maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu] On Behalf Of Yu Liu
> Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 2:14 AM
> To: maxima at math.utexas.edu
> Subject: A problem about apply rules
>
>