rootsof problem -- design doesn't have enough info!
Subject: rootsof problem -- design doesn't have enough info!
From: Richard Fateman
Date: Sat, 09 May 2009 15:35:22 -0700
rootsof(x^3+5) represents the set of 3 cube roots of -5.
what does
rootsof(x^3+y^4) represent? 3 cube roots of y^4 or 4 4th roots of x^3?
Mathematica handles this situation by requiring that the argument to
Root or RootSum that represents a polynomial be a function.
In the ambiguous case above, #^3+y^4& is one choice, which would
correspond to Maxima's
lambda([x],x^3+y^4).
Similarly for the other case, x^3+#^4&.
Mathematica syntax f[#]& is essentially lambda([%1], f(%1)) in Maxima.
Who added integrate_use_rootsof etc? The essential idea is OK in
there, but is problematical.
RJF