Thanks for your question.
Maxima doesn't distribute "=" over lists the way it does, say "+". So
[a,b]=[1,2] doesn't become [a=1,b=2]. This is perhaps to allow vector
equations like a=[1,2,3], though honestly Maxima currently doesn't do much
with such things.
The easy way around this is simply to subtract instead of equating, as
'solve' implicitly solves each expression for 0:
solve(E-M,[Ex,Ey,Ez])
Does that resolve your issue?
-s
On Wed, Oct 5, 2011 at 17:35, Ether Jones <maxima at etherjones.us> wrote:
>
> Hello.
>
> In the Maxima script below, why won't Maxima give a solution at Line 7?
> Why do I have to use Lines 8,9,&10 to get a solution?
>
> Attached is the WMX file and a PNG screenshot of the output.
>
> --------------start Maxima script------------------------
> 1) kill(all)$
> 2) display2d: false;
> 3) load("vect")$
>
> 4) E: [Ex,Ey,Ez];
> 5) M: [1,2,3];
>
> 6) E=M$
> 7) solve(%,[Ex,Ey,Ez]);
>
> 8) E[1]=M[1]$
> solve(%,Ex);
>
> 9) E[2]=M[2]$
> solve(%,Ey);
>
> 10) E[3]=M[3]$
> solve(%,Ez);
> ---------------end Maxima script---------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Maxima mailing list
> Maxima at math.utexas.edu
> http://www.math.utexas.edu/mailman/listinfo/maxima
>
>