The trick is to use the function "factor()".
Try factor(%); after the result you got.
-Paulo
On Wed, May 28, 2008 at 2:27 PM, Ronald Modesitt <rmodesi at msn.com> wrote:
> Ray,
> Thanks for the quick reply. Are you saying that your response from Maxima
> was
>
>
> factor(diff(y(x),x)) -> 7*(a*d-b*c)*(a*x+b)^6/(c*x+d)^8
> -------------------------------
> this ??
>
> Which I agree is exactly what I am looking for. Do you have some
> environmental constants set? I get an answer that is quite different.
>
>
> (480*c*x^6+576*d*x^5+480*c*x^5+600*d*x^4+300*c*x^4+400*d*x^3+72*c*x^3+108*d*
> x^2+8*c*x^2+16*d*x-b*c)/(c^2*x^2+2*c*d*x+d^2)
>
> Thanks
>
> Ron
>
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