> -----Original Message-----
> From: maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu
> [mailto:maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu] On Behalf Of Richard Hennessy
> Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 12:09 PM
> To: S. Newhouse
> Cc: Maxima List
> Subject: Re: [Maxima] Feature request
>
> It is an axiom B+A=A+B, why can't I use it to reverse the
> result this way, if I choose?
It is also an axiom that A+0 = A.
So why can't you use this axiom to write A as A+0, and then A+0 and then
A+0+0 and then A+0+0+0 .....
Because there is a notion of "simplification" imposed at critical points in
processing expressions, necessary to get almost anything done. This
includes ordering terms so that if (A+B)-(B+A) occurs, it can be reduced to
0.
If you wish to use a computer system that does no simplification, you can
try setting simp:false.
It is rarely the case that this is useful.