Fwd: Re: Maxima asks about sign of integration(!) variable



radcan(expr) changes the expression to provide a real value at x=-2 or =2.0.
RJF




-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Re: [Maxima] Maxima asks about sign of integration(!) variable
Date: 	Thu, 26 Sep 2013 01:44:03 +0200
From: 	John Lapeyre <lapeyre.math122a at gmail.com>
To: 	fateman at berkeley.edu
CC: 	Richard Fateman <fateman at gmail.com>, Jaime Villate 
<villate at fe.up.pt>, David Scherfgen <d.scherfgen at googlemail.com>, 
"maxima at math.utexas.edu" <maxima at math.utexas.edu>



On 09/26/2013 01:33 AM, Richard Fateman wrote:
> On 9/25/2013 4:11 PM, Jaime  Villate wrote:
 >> expr : sqrt(1+(4*x^(1/3)-1/16*x^((-1)/3))^2)$
 >
 > Mathematica, evaluating expr at -2.0
 > gives 2.54465 + 4.32153 i
 >
 > Maxima gives 5.0892904824535

(%i64) float(realpart(expr)),x=-2,numer;
(%o64)  2.544645241226752
(%i65) float(realpart(expr)),x=-2;
(%o65)  5.0892904824535
(%i66) float(imagpart(expr)),x=-2;
(%o66)   0.0
(%i67) float(imagpart(expr)),x=-2,numer;
(%o67)   4.321534242730678

  -- John