if you do not insist on n being a symbol, you have many options.
For the expression below, if n is set to a particular number, e.g. 4,
then it can be
simplified to 1/d^4 by radcan or expand.
On 9/9/2013 3:37 AM, Ralf Stephan wrote:
> ((-c+sqrt(c^2+4*d))/2/d)^n*((-c-sqrt(c^2+4*d))/2/d)^n;
> This should simplify to (-1/d)^n, if I'm not mistaken, through
> application of (a+b)(a-b)=a^2-b^2,
> so we get (-4d/4d^2)^n as intermediate. How would I force maxima to do
> this without actually having to input the subst command?
>