Re: [Maxima-discuss] simplify & radical form in Maxima

[Stavros M. (Σ. Μ. <mac...@al...>]

Maxima has a canonical form for many things. There's no way to force it to
write 1 2/3 or 1+2/3 instead of 5/3 or 2*sqrt(2) instead of 2^(3/2). The
simplifier immediately converts 2*sqrt(2) into 2^(3/2). On the other hand,
the general simplifier leaves 2*sqrt(6) alone; you need radcan to transform
it to 2^(3/2)*sqrt(3).

All that being said, it is pretty trivial to work with *unsimplified
*expressions
yourself using the pattern matching routines or simple recursing through
the expression. Of course, you'll have to decide whether you prefer
1/sqrt(2) or sqrt(2)/2; sqrt(6) or sqrt(2)*sqrt(3); whether you want to
simplify sqrt(6)/sqrt(21) to sqrt(2)/sqrt(7); etc.

On Tue, May 29, 2018 at 7:10 PM, Evan Cooch <eva...@gm...> wrote:

> My son who is toiling away in middle school math asked me if there was a
> simple way using a CAS to re-write expressions in simplest radical form.
> For example, enter sqrt(8), and have the CAS return 2 * sqrt(2).
>
> I know how to do this in Maple, or Mathematica (e.g, in Maple,
> convert(sqrt(8),radical) will suffice), but I wanted to show him ho to do
> it in Maxima (I'm try to encourage him to use Open Source, etc). But, for
> the life of me, I can't figure out how to get Maxima to return something in
> simplest radical form, in  a format that will be 'obvious' to him. I've
> made a few token attempts using radcan, but
>
> radcan(sqrt(8))
>
> returns 2^(3/2), which *I* know is equivalent to 2 * sqrt(2), but my son
> might not (although I'd be impressed if he did).
>
> Is there a straightforward way, in Maxima, to simplify (say) sqrt(8) --> 2
> * sqrt(2) (and have it look like that -- 222\sqrt{2})?
>
> Thanks in advance...
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------
> Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
> engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
> _______________________________________________
> Maxima-discuss mailing list
> Max...@li...
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/maxima-discuss
>
>