On 5/20/08, Viktor T. Toth <vttoth at vttoth.com> wrote:
> I'm beginning to wonder if this should be controlled by a flag, since in
> many cases, the ability to effectively simplify large and complex
> expressions far outweighs the mathematical "purity" of a derivative defined
> without removable singularities.
I would rather have users use an explicit declaration to change the
derivative, instead of controlling it via a flag.
That is,
gradef (lambert_w(x), lambert_w(x) / (x*(1 + lambert_w(x))));
to change it instead of
lambert_w_diff_flag : 'the_other_lambert_w_diff_form;
Maxima has approximately 42,000,000 flags of all kinds already
but I think we should try to avoid compounding the problem.
Many of those flags control whether some identities are applied;
it is really only the weakness of the simplification system that
makes them necessary.
The only question is whether gradef changes everything that
needs to be changed. If it doesn't, that probably means we
should work on gradef.
FWIW & all the best.
Robert Dodier