On 11/17/11, Raymond Toy <toy.raymond at gmail.com> wrote:
> I think elliptic_e(x,m) where x is a number (or %pi) should return the
> messy expression that might be simplified. But I would hate it if
> elliptic_e(x,m) always simplified to
> elliptic_e(x-%pi*round(x/%pi),m)+2*round(x/%pi)*elliptic_ec(m) for symbolic
> x and m. When x is a number (or %pi, %gamma, %e, etc.), maxima can do
> something reasonable.
Of course, we're under no obligation to produce a mess whenever it's possible.
Not simplifying an expression is correct too. But if an expression simplifies,
I hope it simplifies to something correct.
The suggested policy for elliptic_e (simplify when x is a constant) seems
reasonable, although I have to confess I really know very little about it.
Something which is not really possible today, which seems like it would
be useful, would be a simplification system in which it's easy to enable
and disable simplifications (including built-in ones), and to see which
simplifications are in effect. Then super-messy simplifications could be
kept on the shelf, but easily enabled by a user who really wants them.
best,
Robert Dodier