# StreamPlot No Longer Works With Piecewise Function?

Bug introduced in 7.0.1 or earlier and persisting through 11.1

I was trying to plot a phase portrait (StreamPlot) using a piecewise (Piecewise) defined function as

  f[x_] := Piecewise[{{2 x - 3, x > 1}, {-x, -1 <= x <= 1}, {2 x + 3, x < -1}}]

StreamPlot[{y - f[x], -x}, {x, -5, 5}, {y, -5, 5}]


It does not produce a plot and gives: Part::partw: Part 1 of {} does not exist.

I am using Version: 11.0.1.0, Windows, 64-bit.

I found this previous post, How I can make the StreamPlot of this differential equation?. The following worked in some previous version of Mathematica (but same problem as I see above with copy-and-paste).

  StreamPlot[{1, Piecewise[{{0.4 p (1 - p/30), 0 < t <= 5},
{0.4 p (1 - p/30) - 0.25 p, t >= 5}}]}, {t, 0, 10}, {p, -5, 5}]


Did something break and there is a bug? Any way around it (maybe I should try defining it using unit step functions and seeing if that resolves the matter)?

• Doesn't work as far back as 10.1 in my testing. The error message is suspiciously unhelpful, I'd think it's a bug. I would report it to support@wolfram.com if I were you. – user6014 Dec 13 '16 at 1:46
• The same error in 7.0.1 on Win7x64. – innaiz Dec 13 '16 at 11:06
• I wonder how the previous example ever worked based on the feedback from the two comments above. Regardless, i suppose it is a bug now. Thank you all! – Moo Dec 13 '16 at 13:04

It does seem to be a bug. As a temporary workaround, you can re-express your function in terms of either UnitStep[] or Boole[], like so:

f[x_] = Dot @@ MapAt[Boole, InternalFromPiecewise[
Piecewise[{{2 x - 3, x > 1}, {-x, -1 <= x <= 1}, {2 x + 3, x < -1}}]], 1]

StreamPlot[{y - f[x], -x}, {x, -5, 5}, {y, -5, 5}]


Note the use of the undocumented function InternalFromPiecewise[] for decomposing the Piecewise[] object.

• I'd be interested in understanding how this works or other insights – ubpdqn Dec 13 '16 at 9:13
• Which part, the conversion? If you look at the output of InternalFromPiecewise[Piecewise[{{2 x - 3, x > 1}, {-x, -1 <= x <= 1}, {2 x + 3, x < -1}}], it merely splits the Piecewise[] object into its component pieces and conditions. – J. M. will be back soon Dec 13 '16 at 11:04
• I mean insight into why my initial answer fails. I am a little sick and going to bed so will look tomorrow. – ubpdqn Dec 13 '16 at 11:09
• You could also use f[x_] = SimplifyPWToUnitStep[Piecewise[{{2 x - 3, x > 1}, {-x, -1 <= x <= 1}, {2 x + 3, x < -1}}]]. – Chip Hurst Dec 13 '16 at 22:47

A workaround:

g[x_] := -Boole[Abs[x] < 1] x + Boole[Abs[x] > 1] (2 x - 3 Sign[x])


Now,

StreamPlot[{y - g[x], -x}, {x, -5, 5}, {y, -5, 5}]


yields an incorrect plot!

Using Graphics:

Graphics[Catenate@

• Very odd, the expression is correct, but the phase portrait appears not to be. Regardless, this approach works - I retyped $g(x)$ and got the correct phase portrait, +1. Thanks. – Moo Dec 13 '16 at 8:36
• The $g(x)$ you typed is spot on. It gave the wrong phase portrait the first time, but now gives the correct one. The phase portrait should look like the one above. Just very odd behavior from Mathematica at times - I am not sure why and I lose faith in it as I have to triple check results. regards – Moo Dec 13 '16 at 8:40
• @J.M.: I think the issue is here that the correct $g(x)$ produced an incorrect plot and that is what we are trying to understand. I re-entered it and it produced the correct results. There are no error messages when it produces the incorrect plot and this is the question for this result. Thanks for your answers! – Moo Dec 13 '16 at 13:25