Subject: Why cannot Maxima calculate some simple sums
From: John Lapeyre
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2010 17:48:08 +0200
maxima's behavior is a little puzzling with sums.
(%i2) integrate(1/n^2,n,1,inf);
(%o2) 1
(%i3) sum(1/n^2,n,1,inf);
(%o3) 'sum(1/n^2,n,1,inf)
? search the manual
(%i4) sum(1/n^2,n,1,inf),simpsum; /* why not simpintegrate ? */
(%o4) %pi^2/6
(%i5) sum(1/n!,n,0,inf),simpsum;
(%o5) 'sum(1/n!,n,0,inf)
(Now the user assumes that maxima can't do this sum because the manual is clear about
simpsum and seems to imply that this is all there is to simplifying sums)
Maybe no one got around to fixing this inconsistency... or maybe its hard to
change without breaking something.