Questions about how Mathematica evaluates expressions, tracing evaluation (Trace*), handling expressions in unevaluated form (Hold*, Unevaluated), nonstandard evaluation, etc.

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4
votes
2answers
181 views

How to make a function that evaluates an expression?

I'm trying to make a function where the input is an expression, but somehow it just won't be evaluated. For example, this little function doesn't work: ...
4
votes
1answer
207 views

Strange Error in Bifurcation Diagram:

I am attempting to plot the bifurcation diagram of the tent map $$ f(x):=2\alpha \begin{cases} x, & 0<x<1/2\\ 1-x, &1/2<x<1, \end{cases} $$ i.e., the plot $\alpha$ vs. the limit ...
1
vote
0answers
67 views

Context “Unique to This Notebook” makes variables black even if they're not defined?

I'm trying to use this technique to keep variables separated between different notebooks. It seems to be working fine, except that variables turn black as soon as they are evaluated — any ideas why ...
1
vote
0answers
53 views

Evaluation in mapping constructs [closed]

I'm trying to use ReplacePart inside of Map, where the address of the element being replaced is the domain of the map, like this: ...
3
votes
1answer
47 views

How can I kill one evaluator from another?

I have a kernel named A in one notebook and other notebook with kernel B, how can I kill B from A?
5
votes
2answers
232 views

Evaluate while external command is being run [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Computing Many Slow I/O Operations I'm launching an external command with the Mathematica front end that takes two arguments: ...
4
votes
1answer
97 views

Pre and Post in a Block[]

Why does Block[{$Pre = ( 1 + #) &}, 1] produce 1 while ...
1
vote
1answer
54 views

Grid — Row expressions not evaluated [closed]

Can anyone explain why in the following Grid expression the Row expressions are not evaluated ... ...
6
votes
1answer
134 views

How can I have interruptible computations inside a manipulate?

Here's a perfect example of my problem: Manipulate[Pause[n], {n, {1, 10}, ContinuousAction -> False}, SynchronousUpdating -> False] It is illustrated by ...
2
votes
2answers
590 views

Animation of Differential Equations from NDSolve with ParametricPlot3D and Evaluate

I have a system of differential equations (referred to as "s") and use NDSolve to obtain the solution. I substitute the interpolated functions for the original ...
0
votes
1answer
62 views

How can I restrict a notebook to evaluate only if I am user 'root'?

I am playing with openCL on Linux with an AMD gpu, and due to a glitch in the driver, I need to be 'root' to get stuff to work. Installation question here.
31
votes
3answers
9k views

Get a “step by step” evaluation in Mathematica

Is it possible in Mathematica to get a step-by-step evaluation of some functions; that's to say, outputting not only the result but all the stages that have led to it? Example : Let's say I want to ...
8
votes
4answers
176 views

How are parameters evaluated for a Plot in Manipulate

I am trying to get my head around how Manipulate evaluates functions in a Plot. I have read the introduction to Manipulate, and introduction to Dynamic, but I still ...
1
vote
2answers
101 views

How can define a set of nested parameters

I would like to know how I to define a function with a nested set of parameters (or whatever you would like to call it). For example, how would I get the following function ...
5
votes
3answers
227 views

First evaluation fails

I am fairly new to Mathematica (version 7), so please bear with me... I have duplicated, in Mathematica, a program that I originally wrote in C (it generates OEIS sequence A191837). The problem is ...
7
votes
2answers
189 views

Why does the name of a pattern affect the result of a transformation rule?

I was playing a little dirty, trying to get a template for defining a Curl[] operator. I wrote the following rule, which I knew was going to spit out a few ...
10
votes
1answer
130 views

Evaluation indicator for a notebook

I have a GUI with a number of TabView and other Manipulate controls. Sometimes clicking from one Tabview to the other can take a while, and I would like to have a global "Please wait" indicator. So ...
1
vote
2answers
82 views

What is the default file path used by the Put function and how do I pre-evaluate an expression to use in Put?

I have a problem of trying to store some output in an external file. In one note book I define a function f[x_]:=AdvancedCalculation, where this function generates ...
0
votes
1answer
76 views

Slow Dynamic Button Does Not Print [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Why do buttons with ChoiceDialog freeze the front end? Why is SystemDialogInput failing to return a save file path? Evaluation inside Button stops after some seconds I ...
17
votes
3answers
395 views

How can I completely ban usage of some functions in output and mandate use of others?

For example, I hate that Mathematica uses Pochhammer symbol in outputs and prefer all the expressions in Gamma function. How can ...
4
votes
1answer
120 views

Tweaking Prime[n] to return 1 when n==0

I manually evaluate this cell to set Prime[0] Unprotect[Prime] Prime[0] = 1 Protect[Prime] I manually evaluate this cell to reset Prime[0] ...
13
votes
2answers
222 views

How to make use of NumericQ[x] = True (and use it safely)?

Basic Issue: I'm trying to understand the proper use of NumericQ's "magical" capabilities. Please consider the examples below. Actual question and some links are ...
1
vote
1answer
107 views

Particular solutions of a Differential Equation not evaluated in a given case

Below first case which gives particular solutions of an OED correctly: ...
15
votes
1answer
194 views

Polynomial expectations of generic distributions

Summary Polynomial expectations depend only moments and cross moments of a multivariate distribution. I would like to use Expectation to compute polynomial ...
6
votes
2answers
147 views

Keywords to find documentation for this syntax

Mathematica allows this syntax, but I cannot find any documentation (or books) that discuss the various uses/advantages of it ...
15
votes
4answers
269 views

Function that caches when it returns unevaluated

How would you go about implementing a function that caches not the result but the fact that it didn't match a pattern? So that it doesn't waste time recomputing a complex time-consuming pattern ...
5
votes
1answer
179 views

Parts of Module body evaluated in external scope?

I have an expression that suggests that some expressions in a module body are dragging in definitions from outside the scope in a surprising way. First, consider a symbolic constant, ...
4
votes
3answers
311 views

All curves in plot have the same style. Cannot be fixed with Evaluate[]

Usually, when I plot multiple curves in Mathematica Plot[{x,x^2,x^3},{x,0,1}] they are given different colors. However, if I try to construct a list inside the ...
10
votes
3answers
226 views

How can I hold UpValues but evaluate other expressions?

Consider these definitions: own = "OwnValue"; down[_] = "DownValue"; sub[_][_] = "SubValue"; N[n] = 3.14; _[___, up, ___] ^= "UpValue"; The attribute ...
6
votes
1answer
187 views

Why does Manipulate execute the expression twice?

When I execute Foobar[] in the code below and move a slider, the variable grad is printed twice. Why is this? How can I make the ...
3
votes
2answers
85 views

Turning evaluation off

I am making a directed graph, but Mathematica keeps trying to evaluate my labels. I know that I can just use " ", but I have a lot of input. Is there a way to turn evaluation off? ...
2
votes
1answer
381 views

setting a variable equal to the output of FindRoot

So I set a function f[x] f[x_] := x*E^(-x) - 0.16064 Then I set a variable 'actualroot' to the function FindRoot, starting at 3 ...
9
votes
4answers
262 views

Recovering intermediate results from a Table after an interruption

I am interested in knowing if it is possible to recover intermediate results from a Table after an interruption. Let us say I want to produce a really useful table ...
11
votes
3answers
237 views

Returning an unevaluated expression with values substituted in

Let's say I have a function formula[x_List] := (x[[1]] - x[[2]]) + (x[[3]] - x[[4]]); and I want to pass it a variable and get back the unevaluated formula with ...
3
votes
3answers
233 views

Help on evaluation control?

I want to plot series of slopes: x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x... I'm trying to do this: ...
5
votes
2answers
215 views

Normal[Series[ ]] does not give a normal expression

Let us say I want to show how the Taylor's series for Sin behaves: ...
8
votes
2answers
178 views

Why do I have to put Evaluate[] here

I wanted to draw some contours. I succeeded with this: ...
5
votes
3answers
166 views

HoldFirst and inserting additional options into a Grid of Graphics

This is related to my earlier question, but is specific to an issue I have encountered with the use of the HoldFirst First, let's create some fake data for ...
15
votes
1answer
338 views

Wagner's trick to monitor FindRoot no longer works in Mathematica version 8

I recently learned that we can use Print as a monitoring tool. My favorite is Ted Ersek's example ...
9
votes
4answers
168 views

Leave expression tree formatting the same when a replacement rule is applied

If I type e1 := 3 x + 2 (1 + y) z // TreeForm, I get an expression tree. If I then type e1 /. x -> 3, I get another ...
3
votes
1answer
108 views

Set promotes Rule to RuleDelayed?

In mentally building a model of how Mathematica works, I naively expected Set to create a Rule in a symbol's ...
11
votes
5answers
620 views

How to pass a symbolname to a function with any of the Hold attributes?

Given a function with the attribute HoldFirst, HoldAll or similar, and a variable, list, how ...
0
votes
1answer
91 views

NIntegrate failling on floating value

I'm trying to take the following integral NIntegrate[ ((Sin[Q 1]-Q 1*Cos[Q 1])/(Q 1)^3)^2 * S[Q,0.4,2] * Q BesselJ[0,0.5Q] , {Q,0,Infinity}] ...
11
votes
3answers
204 views

Numbers in alternate bases transcend the evaluator?

It looks to me like a number in a base other than base 10 gets evaluated before the evaluator ever gets a chance to be tweaked. For example, FullForm[16^^abcdef] ...
7
votes
2answers
153 views

“A number in base b” and pure functions: why doesn't b^^# & work?

Why do the following not work (in Mathematica 7)? 2^^ # & /@ {1000, 1101} and 2^^ # & @ 1101 This does work: ...
11
votes
5answers
438 views

How to determine how much of a table is generated?

If I'm generating a table from a slow function, like this: foo = Table[SuperSlowExpression, {1000}] is there a way to determine after submission (so it is too ...
6
votes
2answers
243 views

How do I make NotebookEvaluate work inside Button?

The following creates a button to select a notebook to run. When the button is pressed it seems that Mathematica finds the notebook but cannot evaluate it. The following error occurs Could not ...
4
votes
1answer
136 views

Assumptions seem not to be considered

In the following a,b is a probability distribution, i.e. a+b==1 with ...
10
votes
7answers
252 views

Question about evaluation control

I want to make a function that takes a function as a parameter and prints an integral with the function inside. I've tried this: ...
16
votes
3answers
419 views

Asynchronous evaluation: Is it possible?

Currently we have a limited number of ways to perform asynchronous evaluation. The most common is through Dynamic and ...