Is there any math formula reduction tools?
for example convert:
$\frac{a(a+1)}{2a}$
to:
$\frac{a+1}{2}$
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Actually, it should be $(a+1)/2$, not $a+1/2$, since $a+1/2$ means $a+(1/2)$. – Michael Hardy Oct 08 '11 at 14:49
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1Actually that's only true if you assume that $a\neq0$. – FUZxxl Oct 08 '11 at 14:52
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3Another way of putting Michael's comment: parentheses are cheap. Use them when there is a potential source of ambiguity. – J. M. ain't a mathematician Oct 08 '11 at 14:53
2 Answers
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Mathematica has the command FullSimplify, for example. One can use it for free on WolframAlpha; here it is in action simplifying $\frac{a(a+1)}{2a}$ into $\frac{a+1}{2}$.
Zev Chonoles
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There are both mobile apps and widgets: http://products.wolframalpha.com/ – Raphael Oct 12 '11 at 10:35
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Two more ideas (free software for the desktop):
- Maxima: a widespread free symbolic-math software; can even be configured to simplify wrt special trigonometric expressions (I use this if I have complicated expressions, derivatives and/or integrals)
- (examples like yours above can even be handled by Pari/GP; but is not specialized on symbolic expressions and can simplify polynomial/series expressions, and -but only to a very small extent- rational functions. Likely not what you want)
Gottfried Helms
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