[Maxima] Solving "identification" problems

[Barton Willis]

Maybe you would like to write a general purpose function that does this. It
might
be possible to call such an extension from to_poly_solve in some nice way.

Barton

-----maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu wrote: -----

>To: maxima at math.utexas.edu
>From: Ulf Ekström <uekstrom at gmail.com>
>Sent by: maxima-bounces at math.utexas.edu
>Date: 11/08/2009 11:32AM
>Subject: [Maxima] Solving "identification" problems
>
>Dear all,
>I am trying to make Maxima identify terms for me, for example
>
>solve(x*y=a*(x+y)^2+b*(x-y)^2,[a,b]);
>
>which I would like to give me a=1/4, b=-1/4. However, it seems that
>solve()
>is not really made for this kind of equations[1]. Is there any other
>function
>I can use for these problems?
>
>Sincerely,
>Ulf Ekström, VU University Amsterdam
>
>[1] I get: [[a=-(%r3*y^2+(-2*%r3-1)*x*y+%r3*x^2)/(y^2+2*x*y+x^2),b=%r3]]
>
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