Dieter,
I agree entirely that we need to think more systematically about the
handling of complex expressions in Maxima. But in the meantime we shouldn't
be changing important existing distinctions (abs vs. cabs).
...abs tries to look more
> carefully for complex expressions. In earlier versions of Maxima cabs is
> called from abs only if we have the symbol %i within the expression.
That seems like a peculiar rule to start with. There is, after all, no more
reason that abs(z+%i) should call cabs than abs(z+1) should.
> Now abs looks for complex symbols too to get a lot of other things more
> correct.
>
Can you elaborate? Remember that abs and cabs have quite different
functions in the system.
-s