Inconsistency when using previously defined variables as arguments to functions



>> we sometimes need to send statements to maxima without having them 
>> simplified, to mimic the behaviour of "hold". Everything that we want 
>> to send to Maxima simplified will go through ev(..., simp) instead. 
>> This actually works pretty well for our purposes, we've yet to 
>> encounter any problems with this approach. The one with the 
>> limit('(..), 'i) was the first one I witnessed. Is there a better way 
>> to do this?
> Probably you could use the specific Lisp programs to do exactly what 
> you want done, and if there is something
> you do not want to do, then you don't call those programs.
> They include
> simplifya
> meval1
> displa
>   and I'm not sure what you would use for parsing, since it depends 
> somewhat on how you interface with your data.
>
>
> RJF
>

Most of the time, we DO want to evaluate and simplify statements, ie. we 
usually do want "the full package". But thank you for suggesting that 
it's possible to just use the parser,simplifier, etc. without using all 
of maxima, I'd never have thought of it myself. I'll keep it in mind in 
case we ever need it :)

Out of curiosity: why do "simlifya", "meval1", etc. have such rather 
counter-intuitive names? :D

Cheers

Thomas