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+--- Thread: Incorrect simplification (/thread-15149.html)
Incorrect simplification - Alexmaster350 - 06-06-2020 03:20 PM
If I define f(x):=x*(a/pi)^(1/4)*e^(-a*x^2),
then execute f(x)*f''(x)
and then simplify(ans),
the result given is incorrect (plus sign where there should be a minus sign - this is easily seen by substituting e.g. x=1,a=1). No variables have been defined - this occurs even after a fresh restart. What could be causing this?
Thanks.
RE: Incorrect simplification - parisse - 06-07-2020 06:24 AM
The simplification command must choose a root in the process, without information on variables the choice is made at random. You can avoid the random choice made on a variable a by running e.g. assume(a>0).
Thanks for pointing to this example, I just found that the numerical value of pi was not taken in account here, I'm fixing that in the source code.