[Axiom-developer] Fwd: unevaluated boolean and conditional expressions in Axiom

[C Y]

Got this email from Robert Dodier, who is currently behind the wheel on
the Maxima project.  I don't know much about conditional stuff in
Axiom, so with his permission I'm passing it on to the list.  (Remember
to CC Robert since he's not on this list.)

Cheers,
CY

--- Robert Dodier <address@hidden> wrote:

> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 10:29:24 -0700
> From: Robert Dodier <address@hidden>
> To: address@hidden
> Subject: unevaluated boolean and conditional expressions in Axiom
> 
> Hi Cliff,
> 
> I wonder if you can answer this question for me.
> 
> How does Axiom handle boolean expressions which don't evaluate to
> true or false?
> Likewise, what happens to if -- then -- else when the condition is a
> boolean expression
> which doesn't evaluate to true or false.
> 
> Here are some examples. I'll try to use a "package agnostic"
> notation.
> 
> Let A = 100. What does "(A > 0) and (B > A) or (C > A)" evaluate to?
> Maybe "(B > 100) or (C > 100)" ? Something else?
> 
> Let X = 100. What does "if (X != 0) then (if (Y != 0) then X/Y else
> Y/X)
> else FOO" evaluate to?
> Maybe "if (Y != 0) then 100/Y else Y/100" ? Something else?
> 
> I'm working on beefing up Maxima's handling of boolean and
> conditional
> expressions, and just for a point of reference I'm taking a look at
> what
> other packages do. If you have some links or references to the Axiom
> documentation that would be very helpful.
> 
> All the best,
> Robert Dodier
> 


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