1Math::Symbolic::ConstanUts(e3r)Contributed Perl DocumentMaattiho:n:Symbolic::Constant(3)
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6 Math::Symbolic::Constant - Constants in symbolic calculations
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9 use Math::Symbolic::Constant;
10 my $const = Math::Symbolic::Constant->new(25);
11 my $zero = Math::Symbolic::Constant->zero();
12 my $one = Math::Symbolic::Constant->one();
13 my $euler = Math::Symbolic::Constant->euler();
14 # e = 2.718281828...
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17 This module implements numeric constants for Math::Symbolic trees.
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19 EXPORT
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21 None by default.
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24 Constructor new
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26 Takes hash reference of key-value pairs as argument. Special case: a
27 value for the constant instead of the hash. Returns a Math::Sym‐
28 bolic::Constant.
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30 Constructor zero
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32 Arguments are treated as key-value pairs of object attributes. Returns
33 a Math::Symbolic::Constant with value of 0.
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35 Constructor one
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37 Arguments are treated as key-value pairs of object attributes. Returns
38 a Math::Symbolic::Constant with value of 1.
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40 Constructor euler
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42 Arguments are treated as key-value pairs of object attributes. Returns
43 a Math::Symbolic::Constant with value of e, the Euler number. The
44 object has its 'special' attribute set to 'euler'.
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46 Constructor pi
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48 Arguments are treated as key-value pairs of object attributes. Returns
49 a Math::Symbolic::Constant with value of pi. The object has its 'spe‐
50 cial' attribute set to 'pi'.
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52 Method value
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54 value() evaluates the Math::Symbolic tree to its numeric representa‐
55 tion.
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57 value() without arguments requires that every variable in the tree con‐
58 tains a defined value attribute. Please note that this refers to every
59 variable object, not just every named variable.
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61 value() with one argument sets the object's value if you're dealing
62 with Variables or Constants. In case of operators, a call with one
63 argument will assume that the argument is a hash reference. (see next
64 paragraph)
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66 value() with named arguments (key/value pairs) associates variables in
67 the tree with the value-arguments if the corresponging key matches the
68 variable name. (Can one say this any more complicated?) Since version
69 0.132, an equivalent and valid syntax is to pass a single hash refer‐
70 ence instead of a list.
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72 Example: $tree->value(x => 1, y => 2, z => 3, t => 0) assigns the value
73 1 to any occurrances of variables of the name "x", aso.
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75 If a variable in the tree has no value set (and no argument of value
76 sets it temporarily), the call to value() returns undef.
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78 Method signature
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80 signature() returns a tree's signature.
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82 In the context of Math::Symbolic, signatures are the list of variables
83 any given tree depends on. That means the tree "v*t+x" depends on the
84 variables v, t, and x. Thus, applying signature() on the tree that
85 would be parsed from above example yields the sorted list ('t', 'v',
86 'x').
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88 Constants do not depend on any variables and therefore return the empty
89 list. Obviously, operators' dependencies vary.
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91 Math::Symbolic::Variable objects, however, may have a slightly more
92 involved signature. By convention, Math::Symbolic variables depend on
93 themselves. That means their signature contains their own name. But
94 they can also depend on various other variables because variables them‐
95 selves can be viewed as placeholders for more compicated terms. For
96 example in mechanics, the acceleration of a particle depends on its
97 mass and the sum of all forces acting on it. So the variable 'accelera‐
98 tion' would have the signature ('acceleration', 'force1', 'force2',...,
99 'mass', 'time').
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101 If you're just looking for a list of the names of all variables in the
102 tree, you should use the explicit_signature() method instead.
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104 Method explicit_signature
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106 explicit_signature() returns a lexicographically sorted list of vari‐
107 able names in the tree.
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109 See also: signature().
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111 Method special
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113 Optional argument: sets the object's special attribute. Returns the
114 object's special attribute.
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116 Method to_string
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118 Returns a string representation of the constant.
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120 Method term_type
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122 Returns the type of the term. (T_CONSTANT)
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125 Please send feedback, bug reports, and support requests to the
126 Math::Symbolic support mailing list: math-symbolic-support at lists dot
127 sourceforge dot net. Please consider letting us know how you use
128 Math::Symbolic. Thank you.
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130 If you're interested in helping with the development or extending the
131 module's functionality, please contact the developers' mailing list:
132 math-symbolic-develop at lists dot sourceforge dot net.
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134 List of contributors:
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136 Steffen Müller, symbolic-module at steffen-mueller dot net
137 Stray Toaster, mwk at users dot sourceforge dot net
138 Oliver Ebenhöh
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141 New versions of this module can be found on http://steffen-mueller.net
142 or CPAN. The module development takes place on Sourceforge at
143 http://sourceforge.net/projects/math-symbolic/
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145 Math::Symbolic
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149perl v5.8.8 2008-02-22 Math::Symbolic::Constant(3)