Felix Natter <felix.natter at smail.inf.fh-brs.de> writes:
> hi,
>
> I am new to maxima and I would like to solve this equation:
> ([px1,py1] + t*[vx1,vy1] - ([px2,py2] + t*[vx2,vy2]))^2 = (r1+r2)^2
> for t.
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by the square on the left hand
side. Maxima interprets this as squaring each component in the row
vector of length 2 that you've created. The right hand side of your
equation is a number:
(%i1) ([px1,py1] + t*[vx1,vy1] - ([px2,py2] + t*[vx2,vy2]))^2;
2 2
(%o1) [(- t vx2 + t vx1 - px2 + px1) , (- t vy2 + t vy1 - py2 + py1) ]
I'm not sure what to suggest, since I can't work out what you're trying
to do. Maybe you can explain what you're trying to solve with a simpler
mathematical equation, which one of us could show how to rewrite in
Maxima?
Rupert
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 315 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://www.math.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/attachments/20110730/386c6eb7/attachment.pgp>