# Simplifying with Assumptions without giving trivial assumptions

Given a long list of independent rational expressions, I need to decide in a reliable but quick way whether or not it is possible for each to be purely negative.

Consider the following rational expression:

expr = ((-1)^(1/3)*(x^2 - y))/x^2


Then I would like something like:

Assuming[(# ∈ Reals)& /@ Variables[expr]   (* {x ∈ Reals, y ∈ Reals} *)
, Simplify[expr ∈ Reals && expr < 0]]


to return False since expr can't be real and negative. But it doesn't work. I have to explicitly tell it that no combination of variables can be zero:

Assuming[{x ∈ Reals, y ∈ Reals, y ≠ x^2, y ≠ 0, x ≠ 0}
, Simplify[expr ∈ Reals && expr < 0]]

(* False *)


But this breaks my ability to automate this computation. How do I decide whether a rational expression is real and negative in a simpler way?

• If x and y and expr are all real, doesn't this mean that (-1)^(1/3) is just -1? – bill s Oct 2 '16 at 19:25
• (-1)^(1/3) = 0.500 + 0.867 I  – QuantumDot Oct 2 '16 at 19:39
• (-1)^(1/3) = 0.500 + 0.867 I or 0.500 + 0.867 I or -1. If you choose a complex root of -1, how can expr be real? – bill s Oct 2 '16 at 19:40
• It can't. And I want Mathematica to tell me that. How do I do that in an automated way. Please note that the example given is one of many in a long list (read the first sentence of my post.). – QuantumDot Oct 2 '16 at 19:42
• @bills - If you want -1 then you would need to use CubeRoot or Surd – Bob Hanlon Oct 2 '16 at 22:45

Use FullSimplify (instead of Simplify) and you can remove most of the extra assumptions.
expr = ((-1)^(1/3)*(x^2 - y))/x^2;

• I think the OP wants to test whether any expression is a negative real number for all (valid) real inputs. The OP's example should be False but it does not simplify to False with just Simplify[]. With FullSimplify[], the condition evaluates to False as desired. – Michael E2 Oct 3 '16 at 1:06