symbolic vector differentiation



-----maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu wrote: -----

> On a slightly-related note dealing with vectors, is there a correct way
> to declare a vector as dependent on another variable?

The first argument to depends "can be the name of a variable or array,
or a list of names" (the user documentation). Subscripted variables
aren't allowed:

(%i1) depends(v[1],x);
The argument to depends must be a symbolic name: v[1]

Maybe you can do what you want with something like:

(%i2) v[1](x);
(%o2) v[1](x)
(%i3) diff(%,x);
(%o3) 'diff(v[1](x),x,1)

Or maybe you can use 'concat' to enumerate vector elements as
v1,v2, ... instead of using v[1], v[2], ...

(%i4) depends(concat(v,1),x);
(%o4) [v1(x)]

(%i5) diff(v1,x);
(%o5) 'diff(v1,x,1)

Barton