This is a tutorial that documents GiNaC @value{VERSION}, an open
framework for symbolic computation within the C++ programming language.
-Copyright (C) 1999-2016 Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
+Copyright (C) 1999-2019 Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-Copyright @copyright{} 1999-2016 Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
+Copyright @copyright{} 1999-2019 Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
@sp 2
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
@section License
The GiNaC framework for symbolic computation within the C++ programming
-language is Copyright @copyright{} 1999-2016 Johannes Gutenberg
+language is Copyright @copyright{} 1999-2019 Johannes Gutenberg
University Mainz, Germany.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
as "@code{\Box}" in LaTeX code (@xref{Input/output}, for more
information about the different output formats of expressions in GiNaC).
GiNaC automatically creates proper LaTeX code for symbols having names of
-greek letters (@samp{alpha}, @samp{mu}, etc.).
+greek letters (@samp{alpha}, @samp{mu}, etc.). You can retrieve the name
+and the LaTeX name of a symbol using the respective methods:
+@cindex @code{get_name()}
+@cindex @code{get_TeX_name()}
+@example
+symbol::get_name() const;
+symbol::get_TeX_name() const;
+@end example
@cindex @code{subs()}
Symbols in GiNaC can't be assigned values. If you need to store results of
ex matrix::determinant(unsigned algo=determinant_algo::automatic) const;
ex matrix::trace() const;
ex matrix::charpoly(const ex & lambda) const;
-unsigned matrix::rank() const;
+unsigned matrix::rank(unsigned algo=solve_algo::automatic) const;
@end example
-The @samp{algo} argument of @code{determinant()} allows to select
-between different algorithms for calculating the determinant. The
-asymptotic speed (as parametrized by the matrix size) can greatly differ
-between those algorithms, depending on the nature of the matrix'
-entries. The possible values are defined in the @file{flags.h} header
-file. By default, GiNaC uses a heuristic to automatically select an
-algorithm that is likely (but not guaranteed) to give the result most
-quickly.
+The optional @samp{algo} argument of @code{determinant()} and @code{rank()}
+functions allows to select between different algorithms for calculating the
+determinant and rank respectively. The asymptotic speed (as parametrized
+by the matrix size) can greatly differ between those algorithms, depending
+on the nature of the matrix' entries. The possible values are defined in
+the @file{flags.h} header file. By default, GiNaC uses a heuristic to
+automatically select an algorithm that is likely (but not guaranteed)
+to give the result most quickly.
-@cindex @code{inverse()} (matrix)
@cindex @code{solve()}
-Matrices may also be inverted using the @code{ex matrix::inverse()}
-method and linear systems may be solved with:
+Linear systems can be solved with:
@example
matrix matrix::solve(const matrix & vars, const matrix & rhs,
contain some of the indeterminates from @code{vars}. If the system is
overdetermined, an exception is thrown.
+@cindex @code{inverse()} (matrix)
+To invert a matrix, use the method:
+
+@example
+matrix matrix::inverse(unsigned algo=solve_algo::automatic) const;
+@end example
+
+The @samp{algo} argument is optional. If given, it must be one of
+@code{solve_algo} defined in @file{flags.h}.
@node Indexed objects, Non-commutative objects, Matrices, Basic concepts
@c node-name, next, previous, up
@code{dirac_gamma} have more efficient simplification mechanism.
@cindex @code{get_metric()}
Also, the object created by @code{clifford_unit(mu, minkmetric())} is
-not aware about the symmetry of its metric, see the start of the pevious
+not aware about the symmetry of its metric, see the start of the previous
paragraph. A more accurate analog of 'dirac_gamma(mu)' should be
specifies as follows:
@cindex @code{ldegree()}
@cindex @code{coeff()}
-The degree and low degree of a polynomial can be obtained using the two
-methods
+The degree and low degree of a polynomial in expanded form can be obtained
+using the two methods
@example
int ex::degree(const ex & s);
int ex::ldegree(const ex & s);
@end example
-which also work reliably on non-expanded input polynomials (they even work
-on rational functions, returning the asymptotic degree). By definition, the
-degree of zero is zero. To extract a coefficient with a certain power from
-an expanded polynomial you use
+These functions even work on rational functions, returning the asymptotic
+degree. By definition, the degree of zero is zero. To extract a coefficient
+with a certain power from an expanded polynomial you use
@example
ex ex::coeff(const ex & s, int n);
These functions will first normalize the expression as described above and
then return the numerator, denominator, or both as a list, respectively.
-If you need both numerator and denominator, calling @code{numer_denom()} is
-faster than using @code{numer()} and @code{denom()} separately.
+If you need both numerator and denominator, call @code{numer_denom()}: it
+is faster than using @code{numer()} and @code{denom()} separately. And even
+more important: a separate evaluation of @code{numer()} and @code{denom()}
+may result in a spurious sign, e.g. for $x/(x^2-1)$ @code{numer()} may
+return $x$ and @code{denom()} $1-x^2$.
@subsection Converting to a polynomial or rational expression
git://www.ginac.de / ginac.git / blobdiff