By default, Maxima assumes that all variables are real; the command
assume(%beta > 0)
tells Maxima that %beta is positive.
The solve function makes little use of the assumed facts. Thus doing
assume(%beta > 0)
will not expunge the non-real solutions.
--Barton
> "hugo.coolens", maxima mailing list
>
> Can I tell Maxima somewhere/somehow that %beta is real and positive and
> thus make my original question solvable by Maxima?