"Fun" Results for Mathcad's New (and Legacy) symbolic solver (Mathcad Prime 6)

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
April 6, 2021
1 reply
2974 views

Hi All.

My students and I have been getting some entertaining results with the solver arrow for the example problem below.

With the "new" and "legacy" symbolic solver the results are somewhat "brittle" almost on par with the picture you get when playing with the ariels of an old-style TV set. The correct answer should be about 0.0265.

For example a common result popping up for the NEW solver is this one (but the letters after the % can differ). Note also that you can get the "Red Box of Shame™️" with some versions (the type of error in this case is highlighted.

When using the legacy solver it can be more likely to behave and give the correct answer. It also sometimes will give the correct answer but add a very negligible imaginary component.

Ideas her are welcome and PTC probably should give a prize for the most bizarre answer anyone can muster with this problem.

Cheers and Thanks

Bill Capehart

SD Mines

Best answer by LucMeekes

Mathcad 11 / Maple:

There apparently are two possible solutions to the problem, when a=2, b=3.7, c=2.51 and W() is the LambertW function.

Success!
Luc

L

LucMeekes

Answer

23-Emerald IV

Mathcad 11 / Maple:

There apparently are two possible solutions to the problem, when a=2, b=3.7, c=2.51 and W() is the LambertW function.

Success!
Luc

B

Bill_Capehart

Author

5-Regular Member

Apologies for losing this in the fog of time, Luc. Thanks for this!

What had us curious is the percentage notation and how the letters will vary from attempt to attempt. Is there any explanation for that?

Cheers and Thanks again.
Bill