teaching Maxima logarithms



>>>>> "Jorge" == Jorge Calvo <Jorge.Calvo at avemaria.edu> writes:

    Jorge> Very impressive, Barton!  I have two related questions:
    Jorge> 1. I found that the Maxima Manual mentions the optional variable %e_to_numlog:

    Jorge> When true, r some rational number, and x some expression, %e^(r*log(x)) will be simplified into x^r .

    Jorge> That sounds like what is required here (and essentially what Barton's function is doing).  However, I can't get this variable to work properly.  With it set to true or false, I still get:

[snip]

    Jorge> (%i95) %e_to_numlog : true;
    Jorge> (%o95) true

    Jorge> (%i96) %e^(y*log(10));
    Jorge> (%o96) %e^(log(10)*y)

As it says above, "r some rational number".  y is not a rational
number.  I think this only works if y is a rational number:

exp(4/7*log(10)) -> 10^(4/7)

Ray