vector times vector; vector^-1?



Am 16 Nov 2008 um 11:42 hat Robert Dodier geschrieben:

> On 11/15/08, van Nek <van.nek at arcor.de> wrote:
> 
> >  tellsimp tells me that defining rules on + and * might not work.
> 
> As it happens, tellsimpafter handles + and * differently than tellsimp ...
> tellsimpafter gathers up all the operands of one type, then all of another
> type, etc. (I think that makes sense for any commutative operator,
> but at present it works only for + and *.)

Robert, 

I guess that identities like

vector(8,9)-vector(8,9); --> vector(0,0)
0*vector(8,9); --> vector(0,0)

are not possible for tellsimpafter. Or is there a way? That would make things easier.

> (%i7) 5*a*vector(x, y) - 6*b*vector(u, v);
> (%o7)         vector(5 a x - 6 b u, 5 a y - 6 b v)
>> 
> >  Generally I do not plan do create builtin simplifications for vectors.
> >  For better readability vector expressions should only be nicely
> >  displayed when typed in and only be simplified if
> >  the user asks explicitely for it. An explicit function should do the work.
> 
> OK by me for now, but after we get the identities straight,
> let's revisit this point.

It seems that my needs concernig vectors are completely different to what you intend. To 
me it is very important to make 

rebuilt( vector(5 a x - 6 b u, 5 a y - 6 b v) ); --> 5*a*vector(x, y) - 6*b*vector(u, v)

possible. Please have a look at the working example I posted earlier in this thread. 

(%o12) vc(x,y,z) = vc(-2*(16*v+13*u+16)+3*(13*v+10*u+10)+3,
                      -5/3*(16*v+13*u+16)+8/3*(13*v+10*u+10)+2,
                      -4/3*(16*v+13*u+16)+7/3*(13*v+10*u+10)+1)

(%i13) vector_rebuild(%,[v,u]);
(%o13) vc(x,y,z) = v*vc(7,8,9)+u*vc(4,5,6)+vc(1,2,3)

(%o13) is clearly far more readable than (%o12). 

Let me argue here: A CAS does generally not decide by itself whether 3*(x+y) or 3*x+3*y is 
more simple. The user has to use factor or expand depending on what he wants. The 
simplifier does not automatically expand. 

> (%i7) 5*a*vector(x, y) - 6*b*vector(u, v);
> (%o7)         vector(5 a x - 6 b u, 5 a y - 6 b v)

This is automatic expansion. I would not recommend it. The restructuring of vector 
expressions in both ways (%i7) --> (%o7) AND (%o7) --> (%i7) should be possible.

Volker