Maxima lists and the delete function



Jaime Villate wrote:
> ....

> (%i4) rest(a+b+c+d+e);
> (%o4)                  d + c + b + a
>
> How can I prevent the simplification of the sum in %i4 in order to get
> b+c+d+e in %o4?
>
> Regards,
> Jaime
>
>   
Your request falls into the (common) category of questions which deserve 
a different approach to answering.
Namely, whatever it is that you are trying to do on a higher level 
should be thought out in a different way so
that it can be done with simplified sums.  If you turn off 
simplification then all kinds of other things will not work,
so that is very rarely an appropriate tactic.

If you are trying to select or delete one term from a sum, what is 
special about the first or last one in alphabetical order?

If you want to print stuff to look the same as some textbook, think 
through what you really want.  Do you want
x+a  or a+x   for example.