On 6/24/09, Luke <[email protected]> wrote: > > Here is the link to the Wolfram Documentation for ComplexInfinity: > http://reference.wolfram.com/mathematica/ref/ComplexInfinity.html > > Their one line documentation is: > represents a quantity with infinite magnitude, but undetermined > complex phase. > > Everything I've tried in Wolfram returns ComplexInfinity, but I'm > still not understanding why this behavior is more desirable than > regular infinity. I'm fine with implementing it this way, but it > would be nice to understand why this way is more correct or general, > if indeed it is.
ComplexInfinity is just unsigned infinity. In a purely real context, this means an infinity that could be positive or negative, and in the complex context it could have any complex direction. UndirectedInfinity or UnsignedInfinity would be an equally appropriate name. For example, complex infinity is a correct value for 1/sin(x) at x = 0 because the limit could be -infinity or +infinity depending on the direction of the limit along the real line, or it could be an infinity with any complex phase when approached through the complex plane. On the other hand log(0) = -infinity because log(x) tends to -infinity no matter the direction of approach. Fredrik --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sympy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sympy?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
