On Tuesday, November 4, 2014 1:02:45 PM UTC-8, Aaron Meurer wrote:
>
>
>
> Your advice is appreciated, but it would be helpful if you actually 
> took the time to look at what SymPy does, instead of just ranting 
> blindly. 

I read what people write here.  I make some assumptions, true.
 

> It feels like more often than not you mention some "mistake" 
> that SymPy has already solved (this Karr convention is a nice 
> example), in many cases a very long time ago. 
>

I have no doubt that nice programs can be written in python and
that some nice programs are in sympy.   I doubt that 
inherently difficult programs to write can be written especially
easier in python, and by novice mathematicians and programmers,
too.  (cf. Sage).

>
> You yourself admitted that you've never actually used SymPy. 


I may have used this link below, but at most once or twice.
 

> I 
> recommend giving it a try. You don't even need to install it. Just go 
> to http://live.sympy.org/. Every time you say "SymPy is stupid because 
> it doesn't consider X" when if fact we have already thought hard about 
> X a long time ago and implemented what we saw as the best fit for it, 
> you discredit yourself a little bit, because it's clear that you 
> didn't even do any research as to what SymPy does. 
>

Yes, it's a hazard.  But I know firsthand that trying out a system is no
guarantee that you know what it does or how to use it or what to
do to make it better.    For example, Sage people
try to do things in Maxima using  inappropriate commands. 
they're frequently using assume() when it has no effect, or using
expand() when  rat() would be orders of magnitude faster. 
on (x+y+z+1)^40   .. 2 vs  0.01 seconds.   I undoubtedly have
sent in bug reports that constitute "user error" and might
speculate on design errors which the developers consider features..   And I 
would
expect to do so if I used live.sympy.org.    So I appreciate your
suggestion that I might make fewer inane comments if I tried things.
I will keep that in mind.

But even that wouldn't rule out all inanity.
RJF



>

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