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Suppose an output of Reduce[] function looks like this:

x2 > 0 && ((0 < x1 < x2 && y2 > 0 && 0 < y1 < y2 && z1 > 0 && z2 > z1 && t1 > c1 && 0 < t2 < c2) || (x1 > x2 && y2 > 0 && y1 > y2 && z1 > 0 && z2 > z1 && t1 > 0 && t2 > c2))

I.e., Boolean formulae with inequalities of two types:

1) $x>a$, to which we associate $\left(\frac{1}{x-a}\right)$,

2) $a<x<b$, to which we associate $\left(\frac{1}{x-a}-\frac{1}{x-b}\right)$.

I would like to automatically create from the above output the following formula, which preserves all Boolean logic and for which && means multiplied by and || means add the corresponding piece:

$\frac{1}{x_2}\Big(\big((\frac{1}{x_1}-\frac{1}{x_1-x_2})\frac{1}{y_2}(\frac{1}{y_1}-\frac{1}{y_1-y_2})\frac{1}{z_1}\frac{1}{z_2-z_1}\frac{1}{t_1-c_1}(\frac{1}{t_2}-\frac{1}{t_2-c_2})+\frac{1}{x_1-x_2}\frac{1}{y_2}\frac{1}{y_1-y_2}\frac{1}{z_1}\frac{1}{z_2-z_1}\frac{1}{t_1}\frac{1}{t_2-c_2}\big)\Big)$

Is there an easy way to do it, given that the number of parameters $x,y,z,t,\dots$, as well as the number of nested parentheses and boolean symbols ( smthng && ( smthng || smthng ) && ( smthng && smthng && smthng ))) can be anything?

UPDATE: Also, sometimes the output contains an equality like this one:

x2==x1-a

buried somewhere inside of the parentheses:

x2 > 0 && ((x2==x1-a || 0 < x1 < x2 && y2 > 0 && 0 < y1 < y2 && z1 > 0 && z2 > z1 && t1 > c1 && 0 < t2 < c2) || (x1 > x2 && y2 > 0 && y1 > y2 && z1 > 0 && z2 > z1 && t1 > 0 && t2 > c2))

which I would like to completely ignore and not to include in the final formula. What replacement rule should I use then?

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1 Answer 1

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Use some replacement rules. We make a function,

toBooleanFunction[expr_] := Simplify@expr //.
  {a_ > b_ :> 1/(a - b), a_ < x_ < b_ :> 1/(x - a) - 1/(x - b), a_ < b_ :> -1/(a - b), a_ > x_ > b_ :> -1/(x - a) + 1/(x - b), _Equal :> (## &[])} //. 
  {And -> Times, Or -> Plus}

Then:

Reduce[{x1 - x2 > a, a > 0, x1 > 0, x2 > 0, x3 == 0}, {x1, x2, x3}]
% // toBooleanFunction
(* -(1/(a (-a + x1) x2 (a - x1 + x2))) *)
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  • $\begingroup$ Thank you! Could you also address the question I've added in the update above? $\endgroup$ Oct 25, 2016 at 22:27
  • $\begingroup$ @Physicsworks. See updates. $\endgroup$
    – march
    Oct 25, 2016 at 22:31
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks! Also, how would I apply these replacement rules without writing the full expression like you did in line 1 above and applying ReplaceAll to the expr in the 2nd line, because sometimes the expression contains thousands of terms. In other words, how would I apply these rules to the output of Reduce[] itself? Reduce[] ./ {rules} doesn't work. $\endgroup$ Oct 26, 2016 at 2:23
  • $\begingroup$ @Physicsworks I don't really understand your question. I don't see why that shouldn't work. $\endgroup$
    – march
    Oct 26, 2016 at 2:30
  • $\begingroup$ for instance, Reduce[{x1 - x2 > a, a > 0, x1 > 0, x2 > 0}, {x1, x2}] /. {rules} , where {rules} are the rules in line 2 of your answer above, doesn't work. $\endgroup$ Oct 26, 2016 at 2:33

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