let me add that

interface(displayprecision=1)

works in both standard and classic gui.

EDIT. let me add that NO, it doesn't seem to work in standard gui.

Not exactly answering your question, but of related interest, the following sets the number of digits to be displayed for floats, irrespective of whether these digits are zeros or otherwise, and irrespective of the precision of the computations, e.g.

Digits:=15: 
interface(displayprecision=1):
evalf(3/2);
                                 1.5

The advantage over convert(%,float,2) is that it applies to all the floats processed after the command, so you don't have to do the conversion manually every time.

depending on your purpose, you may find it useful to convert to rationals,

convert(%, rational);
                                 3/2

Not exactly answering your question, but of related interest, the following sets the number of digits to be displayed for floats, irrespective of whether these digits are zeros or otherwise, and irrespective of the precision of the computations, e.g.

Digits:=15: 
interface(displayprecision=1):
evalf(3/2);
                                 1.5

The advantage over convert(%,float,2) is that it applies to all the floats processed after the command, so you don't have to do the conversion manually every time.

depending on your purpose, you may find it useful to convert to rationals,

convert(%, rational);
                                 3/2

thanks a lot Dave, yes that's the Technical Report I am referring to. In addition, I have also found Xianping Liu's PhD thesis detailing the package. The package files were removed from their original depository. I was able to contact one of the authors, who suggested that the files may have been removed as they became outdated. He also suggested I contact the other authors for further information.

I'm still very much interested in locating the centermanifold package, however outdated. I don't know if that will be possible. I guess the best chance would be to contact the author named above, but I do not have an address or email.

well, I can't be sure of course. I tolerate the use of mobile phone calculators as a substitute for non-communicating calculators during open-book exams (the midterm), but I don't allow them at all in closed-book exams (the final exam).  While it's unlikely that the students would be able to text much information during the limited time of an exam, they could conceivably send a picture of an exam question and their friend could reply with a picture of the answer. In any case, I'm not sufficiently tech savvy to tell an old-fashioned calculator from a modern one, one that could be used to communicate with the outside world, in other words a phone dressed up as a calculator. Also, I do not have the manpower to check each calculator for a communication functionality. So what I do is, I have the students sign a statement saying that they understand that they are not allowed to communicate with anyone, be it inside or outside the classroom, and that if caught they will be severely punished. I also walk around a lot and look over their shoulders for suspicious behavior. Not perfect, I know...

true and true, I see that now, thanks acer. Oh well it was fun.

true and true, I see that now, thanks acer. Oh well it was fun.

as the posts are getting squeezed more and more to the right-hand side, and getting narrower and narrower, let me reply about your yank at the bottom of this thread.

as the posts are getting squeezed more and more to the right-hand side, and getting narrower and narrower, let me reply about your yank at the bottom of this thread.

?isolate

The procedure isolate attempts to isolate the second argument expr in the first argument eqn and solves eqn for expr.

(I think) I mean a procedure that would do the first half of what isolate does, but without the bit that says "solves eqn for expr".

?isolate

The procedure isolate attempts to isolate the second argument expr in the first argument eqn and solves eqn for expr.

(I think) I mean a procedure that would do the first half of what isolate does, but without the bit that says "solves eqn for expr".

but isn't that a little too reliant on knowing the answer?

but isn't that a little too reliant on knowing the answer?

your code nearly but not quite does it, as I was looking for a way to factor out exp(t) and not 1/exp(t), as your code does. Perhaps it can be tweaked. I'm thinking of something like this:

ffactor( a*x + b*x^(-1), a*x ) assuming etc.;

                                /     b  \
                            a x |1 + ----|
                                |       2|
                                \    a x /

your code nearly but not quite does it, as I was looking for a way to factor out exp(t) and not 1/exp(t), as your code does. Perhaps it can be tweaked. I'm thinking of something like this:

ffactor( a*x + b*x^(-1), a*x ) assuming etc.;

                                /     b  \
                            a x |1 + ----|
                                |       2|
                                \    a x /