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4.06.mws

Programming in Maple

Roger Kraft
Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics
Purdue University Calumet

roger@calumet.purdue.edu

4.6. Maple functions are procedures

A function in Maple is really like a procedure. Below we define a procedure,  a Maple function, and an expression, each of them equivalent to the mathematical function f(x) = x^2+2*x-1 .

>    f1 := x^2+2*x-1;    # The mathematical function as an expression,

f1 := x^2+2*x-1

>    f2 := x->x^2+2*x-1; # as a Maple function,

f2 := proc (x) options operator, arrow; x^2+2*x-1 end proc

>    f3 := proc(x)       # as a procedure.

>       x^2+2*x-1

>    end;

f3 := proc (x) x^2+2*x-1 end proc

Let us see how Maple remembers the definitions of   f1 ,   f2 , and   f3 .   

>    eval( f1 );   # f1 was defined as an expression.

x^2+2*x-1

>    eval( f2 );   # f2 was defined as a function.

proc (x) options operator, arrow; x^2+2*x-1 end proc

>    eval( f3 );   # f3 was defined as a procedure.

proc (x) x^2+2*x-1 end proc

Check the data types of f1 , f2 , and f3 .

>    whattype( eval(f1) );   # f1 was defined as an expression.

`+`

>    whattype( eval(f2) );   # f2 was defined as a function.

procedure

>    whattype( eval(f3) );   # f3 was defined as a procedure.

procedure

Notice that Maple considers both f2  and f3  to be of type procedure , so Maple treats functions as procedures.

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