-----maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu wrote: -----
>I then have a system of 3 quadratic equations in 3 unknowns.
>I wish to solve it by a method whose name I can't recall.
>[subtracting multiple of one equation from another such that matrix
>representation has only 0's below the diagonal]
Maybe you are thinking of Gauss elimination? Gauss elimination solves
linear, not quadratic equations. To solve linear or nonlinear polynomial
equations,
use the Maxima function 'algsys.' Here is an example:
(%i3) algsys([x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = 1, x^2 + 3 * z^2 = 2, x*z = -1],[x,y,z]);
(%o3)
[[x=sqrt(1-sqrt(2)*%i),y=sqrt(2*sqrt(2)*%i-1)/sqrt(3),z=-1/sqrt(1-sqrt(2)*%i)],
....
In Maxima, %i is the imaginary unit--that is, %i = sqrt(-1).
>In a way I wish to use it as an intelligent algebraicly aware notepad.exe.
I think you can use / think of Maxima in this way.
Welcome to Maxima. Let us know if you have questions.
Barton