-----maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu wrote: -----
>To: Maxima Mailing List <maxima at math.utexas.edu>
>From: Felipe Augusto Sviaghin Ferri <felipe.ferri at gmail.com>
>Sent by: maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu
>Date: 09/03/2007 06:53PM
>Subject: Doubt about Factoring
>
>Hello,
>
> I am having the following problem in Maxima. I have an expression
>which has a format like this:
>f:a*b+b*c+a*c;
> In fact, my expression is waaaay larger than this, this is only to
>exemplify.
> I would like to tell maxima that "c" is an important variable and i
>want it to be "factored out" of the expression, like this:
>f:a*b+(a+b)*c;
> How can I accomplish this?
>
>Thanks for your help!
Try this:
(%i1) rat(a*b+b*c+a*c,c);
(%o1) (b+a)*c+a*b
Also, at a command line type "? rat". This will show the user
documentation for the function 'rat'. You also might like to
read about the function 'facout' and 'factorsum'.
BW