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is it possible to extract the symbolic variables from an array ?. For example:

s = {(1+0.1I)a*b*c,4*a*b*c,(0.5-2i)*j*k^3,0.88*b*d^2}

I would like to have another array that contains only the different symbolic terms, like this:

ss = {a*b*c,b*d^2,j*k^3}

After that, I would like to identify the position of each term

Thanks

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1 Answer 1

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Clear["Global`*"]

s = {(1 + 0.1 I) a*b*c, 4*a*b*c, (0.5 - 2 i)*j*k^3, 0.88*b*d^2};

ss = s /. {Complex[_, _] :> 1, Plus[_, __] :> 1,
    a_?NumericQ * z_ :> z} // Union

(* {a b c, b d^2, j k^3} *)

Position[s, #*_] & /@ ss

(* {{{1}, {2}}, {{4}}, {{3}}} *)
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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks, it works perfectly. Could you explain a bit the code, I don't understand what to do after the "plus". $\endgroup$
    – Nico
    Mar 27, 2020 at 19:06
  • $\begingroup$ a_?NumericQ * z_ :> z specifies that the product of a numeric factor (a) with an expression (z) is replaced by the just the expression, i.e., drop the numeric factor. It could also be written as _?NumericQ*z_ :> z, that is, the numeric factor does not need to be given a name since it does not appear on the RHS of the rule. Look in the documentation for ReplaceAll $\endgroup$
    – Bob Hanlon
    Mar 27, 2020 at 19:18
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks so much, :D, And the last question if I wanted the second code to search exactly for the term, for example if I have {a, aa, ab} and I want to find the position of the term "a", which is {1}, do you know how this could be done?, I think this code does not discriminate the length of the expression $\endgroup$
    – Nico
    Mar 27, 2020 at 19:20
  • $\begingroup$ Position[{a, aa, ab}, a] Read the documentation for Position $\endgroup$
    – Bob Hanlon
    Mar 27, 2020 at 19:23
  • $\begingroup$ but If I put Position[{a, aa, ab}, a], print the three value. I use $\endgroup$
    – Nico
    Mar 27, 2020 at 19:32

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