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I have a function that I want to generate a square matrix whose entries are run from 1,...,n and whose i,jth entry is f(i,j) for some function f. My code that I have right now is genMat[n_, f_[x_, y_]] := Table[f[i, j], {i, n}, {j, n}], but if I set f[x_,y_]:=x*y, then genMat[4,f[x,y]] evaluates to {{2, 3, 4, 5}, {3, 4, 5, 6}, {4, 5, 6, 7}, {5, 6, 7, 8}}, the matrix generated from adding the values together as opposed to multiplying them. It does this for all other n. Anybody know what is going on here? Thanks.

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    $\begingroup$ Something is weird... maybe you have old definitions lingering. I suggest restarting the kernel and trying again. $\endgroup$
    – bill s
    Jul 14, 2020 at 0:56
  • $\begingroup$ Yeah, I retried it the next day and my method ended up working. Must’ve just been a weird bug $\endgroup$
    – user3308874
    Jul 16, 2020 at 17:00

1 Answer 1

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Recommend that you look at Array

Clear["Global`*"]

genMat[n_Integer?Positive, f_] := Array[f, {n, n}]

genMat[4, f]

(* {{f[1, 1], f[1, 2], f[1, 3], f[1, 4]}, {f[2, 1], f[2, 2], f[2, 3], 
  f[2, 4]}, {f[3, 1], f[3, 2], f[3, 3], f[3, 4]}, {f[4, 1], f[4, 2], f[4, 3], 
  f[4, 4]}} *)

genMat[4, Times]

(* {{1, 2, 3, 4}, {2, 4, 6, 8}, {3, 6, 9, 12}, {4, 8, 12, 16}} *)

genMat[4, #1^2 - 3*#2 &]

(* {{-2, -5, -8, -11}, {1, -2, -5, -8}, {6, 3, 0, -3}, {13, 10, 7, 4}} *)
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