[GiNaC-list] Ginac not collecting terms when multiplying powers (bug?)

[Vladimir V. Kisil]

	Dear Jonathan,
>>>>> On Mon, 20 Jul 2015 01:18:59 +0200, Jonathan Mills <jpamills at gmail.com> said:
    JM> Consider this short programme:
    JM> #include <iostream> #include <ginac/ginac.h> using namespace
    JM> std; using namespace GiNaC;
    JM> int main() { possymbol x("x"); cout << pow(4,x + 1) * pow(4,-1)
    JM> << endl; }
    JM> The result produced is: 1/4*4^(1+x), the expected output is 4^x.
    JM> a positive value, I'm confused why this expression is not
    JM> considered safe?

    I think, that the issue here is not "safety". Making all possible
  simplifications of this type will require to try all possible
  simplification rules for each term of an expression. If done
  automatically on every step this will make the system very slow. Thus,
  GiNaC may require some assistance from a human.

  In this particular example you will get the expected answer 4^x from

 cout << (pow(4,x + 1) * GiNaC::pow(4,-1)).expand() << endl;

 Best wishes,
 Vladimir
-- 
Vladimir V. Kisil                 http://www.maths.leeds.ac.uk/~kisilv/
  Book:     Geometry of Mobius Transformations     http://goo.gl/EaG2Vu
  Software: Geometry of cycles          http://moebinv.sourceforge.net/