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Is there some trick or shortcut to vector operations?

jstavitsky
1-Newbie

Is there some trick or shortcut to vector operations?

This is an issue that I encountered earlier when I was taking an electronics technology course. Obviously, what is meant by a vector in Mathcad is not the same as what is meant by a vector in my physics text. Now, I'm sure that there is some system for manipulating and using polar coordinates, but to the best of my knowledge polar coordinates and vectors are not the same thing. Polar coordinates, by definition, do not have x-components and y-components. To resolve them would take as much work as resolving a vector. Isn't there some "inline" method of vector addition and subtraction so I don't have to keep resolving them?

I have some (very basic) grasp of user defined functions. Is that the way to go here? Also, is there some way to typeset vector notation? (the horizontal arrow above the letter)?

13 REPLIES 13

See if the attached is any help.

Alan.

-MFra-
21-Topaz II
(To:jstavitsky)

Hi J. S.

Some time ago, I tried to solve the same problem as your own. The results are partly in the attached file.

I would be glad if you report me inconsistences escaped to me.

Thank you

FM

-MFra-
21-Topaz II
(To:-MFra-)

I noticed that by downloading the attached file and opening it,  images as bitmap or jpeg, are moved randomly, making everything incomprehensible. I enclose a picture of the file, placed in order. Thus, those interested can put everything in place as before.

Unit Vectors & Vector calculus.jpg

Which version of Mathcad are you using? Real Mathcad 15 or below or Prime?

Its not quite clear to me what exactly you are trying to achieve and in which respect you think that a vector in physics differs from a vector in MC. Maybe you can elaborate on this.

According the display of vector variable names I don't know of a way to create that arrow above the name. The best I could achieve using U-20D7 from charmap is an arrow after the name

which doesn't look that good and is awkqard to create. So I guess that the bold typeface suggested by Alan is the better alternative.

Werner

P.S.: As you mention polar coordinates and only x and y components you are probably heading for vectors in just 2 dimensions. Depending on what you would like to achieve it might be worth to consider complex numbers for representation, too.

Maybe this recent thread is of interest Matrice to lenght and angle

Hi.

Just looks horrible, that's playing with Ctrl-Shift-K and J. Like Werner, believe that black notation like Alan's or F.M. is better.

Best regards.

vec.gif

AlvaroDíaz wrote:

Just looks horrible,

I don't like it, too. But its a clever idea and a new use for the vectorization operator.

I guess the only way to get a decent vector notation is to use a modified font. Either modify one of the diacritc symbols to look like an arrow or create a font with an arrow over each letter. The the sheet won't be compatible with anything but for documentation this might be an option.

Sure too much hassle for me - I would stay with normal or bold typeface.

LucMeekes
23-Emerald III
(To:Werner_E)

You've all seen that the original post is from march 2015, that is 1.5 years ago...

Anyway, this might be another item for notation (like units that must be Roman, upright type: Units in roman). It could be easily solved if there is a font that has an arrow above each character.

Haven't found it yet. In absence of that I use underscore.

Luc

> You've all seen that the original post is from march 2015, that is 1.5 years ago...

No, I did not notice that

I noticed that F.M. had already answered to a number of outdated threads but this time he caught me

> In absence of that I use underscore.

Thats what I use for complex numbers.

Werner

LucMeekes
23-Emerald III
(To:Werner_E)

I see no reason to separate a complex variable from a real one, by a different user type. The standard (ISO 80000) does not make a distinction there either. There is a notation for a complex conjugate of a variable c, the common notation for that is c with an overbar (which is also used for average or mean...)

Luc

LucMeekes
23-Emerald III
(To:LucMeekes)

Hmm, the standard (ISO 80000-2) uses capitals in italic bold font for matrices (so like: M) as well as vectors (V), but vectors could also be lowercase (v). No need for arrows above variable names then....

Luc

> I see no reason to separate a complex variable from a real one, by a different user type.

In some areas its quite usual to underline complex variables.

LucMeekes
23-Emerald III
(To:LucMeekes)

Correction. No: not easily solved with that font I haven't found yet, as that would only solve it for single letter vector names...You have to know where the arrow starts and, more importantly, ends.

Full solution is obainable only (?) by application support.

Luc

> Full solution is obainable only (?) by application support.

Oh, yeah! In a perfect world ....

Lets dream along ...

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