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6.8.2  The standard infixed operators on real numbers: + - * / ^

The +, -, *, /, and ^ operators are the usual infixed operators to do addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and raising to a power.


Examples.


Remark.
You can use the square key or the cube key if your keyboard has one; for example: 32 returns 9.


Remarks on non integral powers.
If x is not an integer, then ax=exp(x ln(a)), hence if x is not rational, then ax is well-defined only for a>0. If x is rational and a<0, the principal branch of the logarithm is used, leading to a complex number. Note the difference between (a)1/n and a1/n when n is an odd integer.


Example.
To draw the graph of y=∛x3x2:
Input:

plotfunc(ifte(x>0,(x^3-x^2)^(1/3),
-(x^2-x^3)^(1/3)),x,xstep=0.01)

You might also input:

plotimplicit(y^3=x^3-x^2)

but this is much slower and much less accurate.


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