Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-L] proofreading the equations



On August 16, 2015 6:07 PM, John Denker wrote:
One thing I find helpful is to use a computer algebra system to check the
work ... something like Macsyma (or its freeware clone, maxima).
http://maxima.sourceforge.net/

Thanks. I had just used a table of integrals to integrate 1/u^3 and 1/u^5
where u = sqrt(a + c*x^2) when I saw your post. I downloaded Maxima and got
the same answers. I did have to manipulate the Maxima 1/u^5 result to
ensure it was the same as the integral table form. This then reminded me to
try my student version of Mathematica. This also gave the same answers but
with less manipulation required to show equivalence to the integral table
1/u^5 result.

As far as proofreading text goes, spellchecking gets rid of most of my
misspellings and gross grammar errors, but, of course, does nothing for the
"on" versus "or" problem David Bowman mentioned. For lapses like that, I
haven't found any solution except re-reading a number of times. Since
having another person edit the document for me, in most cases, isn't
practical, I have found, for correspondence I am really concerned about,
walking away from the document and coming back with a fresh mind at a later
time is helpful. I also don't hit the send button until, after several
re-readings where errors have shown up, I read the document, at least, once
more, and I find no errors. But, of course, despite these efforts errors
still occur. I guess that goes with being an imperfect human. Perhaps,
someday, word processors will have enough AI to reduce the "on" versus "or"
problem.

I do feel that I have noticed in reading hard copy newspapers and web
articles (professionally written on CNN, NY Times web sites, etc.) that a
lot more errors of the "on" versus "or" type, and omitted words, seem to
occur than I remember from years ago. I'm wondering if people, nowadays, do
the easy and fast spellchecking/grammar checking with their word processors
and then don't put in the time to do enough manual re-readings as they were
forced to do when word processors weren't available.

Don Polvani