-----maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu wrote: -----
>thank you very much for your valuable help. It would be very useful for me
>if Maxima had a vector object. Functions like finding the vector
associated
>to a skew-symmetric matrix are very useful in vector calculus. Also things
>like decomposing a symmetric or skew-symmetric matrix in terms of its
>invariants would be helpful.
Maybe you don't need a vector to do want you need to do. Here are some
examples:
Define m to be an antisymmetric matrix
(%i41) m : matrix([0,1,1],[-1,0,1],[-1,-1,0])$
Make a list of the traces of m, m^2, and m^3
(%i42) makelist(mat_trace(m^^k),k,1,3);
(%o42) [0,-6,0]
Express m as a linear combination of projection matrices
(%i43) spectral_rep(m);
(%o43) --- long expression deleted----
Verify the spectral representation
(%i44) expand(m - first(%) . second(%));
(%o44) matrix([0,0,0],[0,0,0],[0,0,0])
Compute exp(%i * m * t)
(%i47) matrixexp(m, %i*t);
(%o47) -- long expression deleted----
Maybe these examples will get you started. Or if there is something else,
maybe we all could help you figure out how to that too.
Barton