Maxima asks about sign of integration(!) variable



On 2013-09-25, David Scherfgen <d.scherfgen at googlemail.com> wrote:

> expr : sqrt(1+(4*x^(1/3)-1/16*x^((-1)/3))^2);
> integrate(expr, x, -8, 512);
>
> Maxima asks "Is x positive or negative?".
> Why does it ask that? x is the integration variable ... it shouldn't ask 
> anything about it.

Agreed -- that's a bug in the integration code.

> Also, when I answer "positive;", Maxima keeps asking the same question 
> again two more times.
> Only then, it gives me an answer.

That's a bug in the sign code -- I think it is fixed in Maxima 5.31.1.
What does build_info(); report?

best

Robert Dodier