After pondering this further, I realized that "integrate(f1(x),x)" returns the antiderivative in the domain x=[-inf..1) whereas ""integrate(f2(x),x)" returns the antiderivative in the domain x=(1,+inf]
How do I tell Maxima what the domain of "x" is, so that it returns the desired antiderivative?
--- On Fri, 4/29/11, Michael Checca <mchecca at gmail.com> wrote:
> From: Michael Checca <mchecca at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Maxima] integrate(1/(1-x))
> To: maxima at math.utexas.edu
> Date: Friday, April 29, 2011, 5:43 PM
> On 04/29/2011 04:27 PM, Ether Jones
> wrote:
> >
> > why is the antiderivative of f1(x) equal to 0 at x=0,
> >
> > but the antiderivative of f2(x) is undefined at x=0?
> >
> > are f1(x) and f2(x) not identical functions?
> >
> > f1(x):=1/(1-x);
> > integrate(f1(x),x);
> >
> > f2(x):=-1/(x-1);
> > integrate(f2(x),x);
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>
> I put both of the functions into Maple (my school requires
> us to use it
> even though Maxima is way better) with the same result. So
> it seems that
> it is not a Maxima bug, but a mathematical bug :) Also, if
> you
> ratsimp(f1(x)) you get f2(x), so it seems odd that they
> would have
> different antiderivatives. Perhaps a math guru could
> enlighten us?
>
> --
> Michael Checca
>
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