Application Guide

comDenom()
Catalog >
comDenom(Expr1,Var) returns a reduced
ratio of numerator and denominator
expanded with respect to Var. The terms
and their factors are sorted with Var as the
main variable. Similar powers of Var are
collected. There might be some incidental
factoring of the collected coefficients.
Compared to omitting Var, this often saves
time, memory, and screen space, while
making the expression more
comprehensible. It also makes subsequent
operations on the result faster and less
likely to exhaust memory.
If Var does not occur in Expr1, comDenom
(Expr1,Var) returns a reduced ratio of an
unexpanded numerator over an unexpanded
denominator. Such results usually save even
more time, memory, and screen space.
Such partially factored results also make
subsequent operations on the result much
faster and much less likely to exhaust
memory.
Even when there is no denominator, the
comden function is often a fast way to
achieve partial factorization if factor() is
too slow or if it exhausts memory.
Hint: Enter this comden() function definition
and routinely try it as an alternative to
comDenom() and factor().
completeSquare ()
Catalog >
completeSquare(ExprOrEqn, Var) ⇒
expression or equation
completeSquare(ExprOrEqn, Var^Power)
⇒ expression or equation
completeSquare(ExprOrEqn, Var1, Var2
[,...]) ⇒ expression or equation
completeSquare(ExprOrEqn, {Var1, Var2
[,...]}) ⇒ expression or equation
Converts a quadratic polynomial expression
of the form a•x
2
+b•x+c into the form a•(x-h)
2
+k
Alphabetical Listing 27