145k views

### Where can I find examples of good Mathematica programming practice?

I consider myself a pretty good Mathematica programmer, but I'm always looking out for ways to either improve my way of doing things in Mathematica, or to see if there's something nifty that I haven't ...
6k views

### How to avoid collision between optional arguments and options

Is it possible to create a function with optional arguments that also takes options? Here is a simple example. I have a function f with option "g". It also has ...
4k views

### Can a function be made to accept a variable amount of inputs?

I have a function that takes two inputs and processes them for a single output. What I need is one that can take a varying number of inputs. and process them to a single output. Is this possible in ...
1k views

### How to examine the structure of Graphics objects

One difficulty I'm encountering in studying the structure of Graphics objects is that I have not yet found a way to print or display such structures that are ...
4k views

### How to create strong types?

In a program I'm writing, I create a list of lists, that looks something like this: {{100, {1,2,3,4,5}}, {105, {2,4,6,8}}, {42, {42,39,56}}} I then pass this ...
711 views

### Why doesn't PatternTest work with Composition?

While playing around with the solutions to this question, I've found some very strange behaviour: ...
1k views

### Quick way to use conditioned patterns when defining multi-argument function?

I have a simple function that is supposed to only accept numeric values (i.e. complex/real numbers and constant symbols e.g. Pi, E). $$f(a,b,c)=a+b+c$$ Edit: I should have chosen a less simple ...
2k views

### Selectively Mapping over elements in a List

I am using the following code to easily generate a row of images of all eight planets of our Solar System: ...
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### How do I check if any element in a list is positive?

As a simple example of what I would like to do, suppose I have a list a of all real numbers. I would like to perform a simple check to see if some element of ...
2k views

### Using Position (which requires a pattern) in the same manner as Select (which requires a criterion)

I am using Mathematica7. I have a list of lists (creatively named list in the following sample code) containing data. I would like to find the positions of the ...
3k views

### Implement the Bisection algorithm elegantly and easily

Description: Rencently, I have finished my course Numerical Analysis, so I'd like to implement many algorithm that I have learned from that course.By this practice, I hope that I can improve my ...
3k views

### Match patterns on list of Strings

Consider the following: data={"AB","CD","AF"}; Now I would like to delete all String from data which starts with "A". Result:...
950 views

### Assessing argument type in set delayed function definitions

I'm wondering how to properly assess the type of arguments passed to functions defined with :=. I want my functions to be the most efficient, unambiguous and clear ...
1k views

### Displaying a series obtained by evaluating a Taylor series

Description of problem I would like to use Mathematica to display the series obtained by substituting a value for $x$ in a Taylor series expansion. The terms of the series will be rational numbers, ...
5k views

### Plot columns of table if some condition is fulfilled

I have a table with data, for example MT = {{1, 80.3, 1, 4, 68}, {2, 80.5, 1, 5.5, 102}, {3, 80.0, 0, 4.2, 78}, {4, 80.4, 0, 3, 17}, {5, 80.2, 1, 5, 180}}; ...
485 views

### Why does pattern test work only with pure functions?

Why is it that pattern test works only with pure functions? Cases[Range[0, 70], _?(Divisible[#, 7] &)] Cases[Range[0, 70], x_?(Divisible[x, 7])] I ...
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### Position function not always returning an answer even with no apparent problems

I'm having some problems with Position. Sometimes it will give an empty list instead of the actual position of the element I am looking for when that element is ...
4k views

### How to restrict the domain of a function

I realize this question has been asked many times, but I am fairly new at Mathematica and the other answers are very complex, and certainly too complicated for this simple code I am trying to write. ...
234 views

### Why the pattern match don't work as expected

When I try to figure out this problem,I write such code: ...
1k views

### Evaluating function only when its optional argument is numeric

I want to have the argument 'a' for myf2 in form of optional argument, but at the same time I need to evaluate the function only if 'a' is Numeric, see also my previous question. ...
1k views

### How can I use nested conditionals inside my functions?

I'm a big fan of using conditionals inside my functions to deal with cases, that is, to pattern match in stages and possibly leave a function unevaluated. ...
232 views

### Multiple down-values with exactly the same lefthand side

I was working on an answer to this question, when I was sidetracked by what I bring up here. I wanted a function, which when given a string representing a binary number, would convert the string to a ...
439 views

### Use of StringExpression as argument

Is it possible to use a StringExpression as a pattern for an argument? I.E. something like foo[chars__~~ WordCharacter.. ~~ num:NumberString] := {chars, num}; At ...
417 views

### Convert boolean test function to pattern?

What is a "reverse" to MatchQ? MatchQ converts pattern into boolean function. So how to convert back? Suppose I want to use ...
586 views

### Simplifying expression with patterns (Replace)

Q1: I need to simplify some algebraic expression, according to particular pattern, namely: \begin{equation*} x^m = \left\{ \begin{array}{ll} 1 & \text{if } m \text{ is even} \\ x & \text{if }...
648 views

### Pattern test for variables during function definition

I am having a problem with pattern testing on variables during function definition ...
277 views

### Why is there a difference when formulating patterns for Select and FirstPosition?

Select[{1, 2, 4, 7, 6, 2}, # > 2 &] Gives {4, 7, 6}. OK! So one should think that the following would work: ...
356 views

### Why does pattern test not work in this case to restrict the function parameters?

I was looking at this Q&A about using pattern test (pattern_?test) vs pattern condition (pattern_/;cond) and came across ...
237 views

### How to apply multiple/complicated requirements for a pattern in a function input [duplicate]

In this question. I suggested that to test whether the input of a function was a matrix of numbers one could create the following test: ...
198 views

### Can a pattern examine all partitions of a sequence?

Say I have a list: {a, b, c, d}. I'd like to check that the list has some partition, say {{a, b, c}, {d}} such that all the elements of the partition satisfy a ...
86 views

### Evaluation speed of apparently equivalent functions

Consider the following expressions: f[x_Integer] := x, f[x_] := x /; x ∈ Integers, f[x_?IntegerQ] := x All of the expressions above (and probably others which ...
280 views

### IntegerQ returning False despite setting Assumptions

Why does the following not return True? Assuming[z ∈ Integers, IntegerQ[z]] False I tried this on a fresh session of ...
169 views

### Weird behaviour of HoldPattern

I'm still thinking about how to implement Condition with anonymous patterns. And now I think I've found a way to implement it, but again, a suspected unclear ...
156 views

### Initialize table in a Module but Break if criteria not met

I am initializing a table inside a function as follows: f[a1_, a2_, a3_] := Module[{RM = Table[a1+a2+a3+i1, {i1, 1, 10}]}, Plus@@RM] I am calling the function <...
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### The difference between ? and /; [duplicate]

I can do the following Cases[Range@10, x_ /; OddQ[x]] But why cannot I do x_?OddQ[x] instead of ...
56 views

### Placement of pattern matching rules in functions [duplicate]

Is there any difference at all between f[x_Integer /; x >= 0] := x + 1; f[x_Integer] := x - 1; f[x_] := Null; and ...
2k views

### Function with condition

I am starting my adventure with Mathematica. I would like to know if is there possibility to create function described by formula for example f(x):=1+2^n where 2^n < x. I have problem with this ...
573 views

### Pattern constraint for two or more variables

Is it possible to have a pattern constraint for a function with two or more variables where the pattern is a relation between the vars being accepted e.g. ...
77 views

### How to use Strings and Functions With Conditions

Very new to Mathematica so this might be really simple. I have the function pow[x_,r_]:= x^r where r is rational due to ...
144 views

### How do I use a while-loop to find the gain of a transfer function's limit?

At the moment I can find the limit of my transfer function as follows: (5 4001.6)/(5 4001.6 + (4 + s) (200 + s)) /. s -> 0 This works as I would expect and ...
69 views

### Condition in a replacing function [duplicate]

Because of "Thou shalt not copypaste", I'd like to change my pair of replacements F[foo_,foo_+1]:=bar;F[foo_,foo_-1]:=bar; (it's MUCH longer, so it actually ...