Stavros Macrakis

Bizarrely, it seems to be the negation that is responsible for the problem: tt: subst(taylor(x,x,inf,2)$ subst(tt,x, %e^-(x+1)^2 ) => +(+%e^-1*(%e^-x)^2)*%e^-x^2 subst(tt,x, -%e^-(x+1)^2 ) => ERROR, only difference is initial "-" subst(tt,x, %e^-x^2 ) => +%e^-x^2 <<< OK subst(tt,x, -%e^-x^2 ) => -1+... <<< ???, only difference is initial "-" Even simpler case (getting 20 taylor terms to make sure it's not a truncation issue): subst(taylor(x,x,inf,20),x,exp(-x)) => +%e^-x subst(taylor(x,x,inf,20),x,-exp(-x))...

Bizarrely, it seems to be the negation that is responsible for the problem: tt: subst(taylor(x,x,inf,2)$ subst(tt,x, %e^-(x+1)^2 ) => +(+%e^-1*(%e^-x)^2)*%e^-x^2 subst(tt,x, -%e^-(x+1)^2 ) => ERROR, only difference is initial "-" subst(tt,x, %e^-x^2 ) => +%e^-x^2 <<< OK subst(tt,x, -%e^-x^2 ) => -1+... <<< ???, only difference is initial "-" Even simpler case (getting 20 taylor terms to make sure it's not a truncation issue): subst(taylor(x,x,inf,20),x,exp(-x)) => +%e^-x subst(taylor(x,x,inf,20),x,-exp(-x))...

Bizarrely, it seems to be the negation that is responsible for the problem: tt: subst(taylor(x,x,inf,2)$ subst(tt,x, %e^-(x+1)^2 ) => +(+%e^-1*(%e^-x)^2)*%e^-x^2 subst(tt,x, -%e^-(x+1)^2 ) => ERROR, only difference is initial "-" subst(tt,x, %e^-x^2 ) => +%e^-x^2 <<< OK subst(tt,x, -%e^-x^2 ) => -1+... <<< ???, only difference is initial "-" Tested in Maxima 5.49.0 SBCL 2.6.0

Here's a little trick to make multiplication visible. sols: solve(48*x^3-1,x) => sqrt(3) %i - 1 sqrt(3) %i + 1 1 [x = ──────────────, x = - ──────────────, x = ──────] 1/3 1/3 1/3 4 6 4 6 2 6 nary("·",120)$ /* added precedence */ subst("·","*",sols); 1 1 [x = (─) · (────) · (sqrt(3) · %i - 1), 4 1/3 6 1 1 x = (- ─) · (────) · (sqrt(3) · %i + 1), 4 1/3 6 1 1 x = (─) · (────)] 2 1/3 6 That shows the internal structure of the Maxima expression (where division is multiplication by an inverse). Here is...

Here's a little trick to make multiplication visible. sols: solve(48*x^3-1,x) => sqrt(3) %i - 1 sqrt(3) %i + 1 1 [x = ──────────────, x = - ──────────────, x = ──────] 1/3 1/3 1/3 4 6 4 6 2 6 nary("·")$ subst("·","*",sols); 1 1 [x = (─) · (────) · (sqrt(3) · %i - 1), 4 1/3 6 1 1 x = (- ─) · (────) · (sqrt(3) · %i + 1), 4 1/3 6 1 1 x = (─) · (────)] 2 1/3 6 That shows the internal structure of the Maxima expression (where division is multiplication by an inverse). Here is how to get a view that follows...

Here's a little trick to make multiplication visible. sols: solve(48*x^3-1,x) => sqrt(3) %i - 1 sqrt(3) %i + 1 1 [x = ──────────────, x = - ──────────────, x = ──────] 1/3 1/3 1/3 4 6 4 6 2 6 nary("·")$ subst("·","*",sols); 1 1 [x = (─) · (────) · (sqrt(3) · %i - 1), 4 1/3 6 1 1 x = (- ─) · (────) · (sqrt(3) · %i + 1), 4 1/3 6 1 1 x = (─) · (────)] 2 1/3 6

In display2d:false mode, I get x = 1/(2*6^(1/3)) I think you are interpreting "2 6^(1/3)" as 26^(1/3). On Sun, Jun 21, 2026, 03:30 John Oliver via Maxima-bugs maxima-bugs@lists.sourceforge.net wrote: [bugs:#4793] https://sourceforge.net/p/maxima/bugs/4793/ Solve: incorrect answer Status: open Group: None Created: Sun Jun 21, 2026 07:29 AM UTC by John Oliver Last Updated: Sun Jun 21, 2026 07:29 AM UTC Owner: nobody Attachments: Solve_Error.mac https://sourceforge.net/p/maxima/bugs/4793/attachment/Solve_Error.mac...

Solve: incorrect answer