V14 can't do what V13 did.

[PNachtwey]

I have a system of equations that I can solve in V13 but V14 says the solution is too big. On other simulataneous solution problems where V13 correctly gets a solution, V14 says no solution found. What gives? I can solve these by hand using subsitution it just gets messy so why can't V14 get the solution?

The problems involve 3rd order motion segments where the position, velocity and accelerations must match at the ends of each segment. There is nothing trick here.

 

[biff44]

Jeez, another reason to not upgrade?!!

Starting to look like it is time to switch to matlab.

 

[IRstuff]

M14 uses MuPad, while M13 still used the original Maple engine. In some cases, altering the configuration of the equation might help.

You might try posting on the Mathcad Collaboratory and see if someone has had a similar problem and solution.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[PNachtwey]

The person that just bought the Mathcad14 has a call into tech support and has provided PTC with our worksheet. I will let you know how it goes. Hopefully there is a setting in V14 that will make our worksheet compatible.

 

[IRstuff]

As for upgrading, or not, it really depends on what you need to do. Most of the stuff that I do, I could have still done on v6, but I'm mostly using v11. But, I almost never use symbolics and almost never do anything requiring ODE support either.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[PNachtwey]

Still no word from PTC about the problem.

I would say I am a power user and push Mathcad to the extreme. I do a lot of symbolic processing. If I didn't I would just use Scilab. I do a lot of optimizing too and Scilab is faster at optimizing too. However, the priority is symbolic processing but I can see there is no need to upgrade to v14.

I am looking for a real upgrade.

 

[IRstuff]

symbolic is really a sideline for Mathcad, as far as I'm concerned. MC is just a good compromise for those that use numerical calcs with some amount of symbolic. If there's an overabundance of symbolic, then Mathematica CalcCenter, Maple, or MuPad might be more appropriate.

None of them are particularly cheap, though...

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[philipoakley]

The real support is at

http://collab.mathsoft.com/~Mathcad2000

Yes the new symbolic engine is different. Maple has decided it want's mathcad's market so isn't giving any new versions of the engine...
MuPad, the new engine starts from the assumption of a Complex, rather than Real number basis.

Finally, mathCAD did rather fail to show how to use symbolics properly. It is a somewhat specialist area in terms of making the algorithms fly and driving the processor (what to collect on & when; when to re-use variable names and when to have multiple versions; how to do a cross check of hand simplifications and equivalences, etc. )
Most folk haven't a scooby about how to use symbolics - well it isn't in excel is it..

Philip

 

[IRstuff]

But there are those, like me, who have used Mathcad since v3, at least, but haven't really ever needed to do symbolics.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[GregLocock]

Noob, I used it when it was in beta. And made my boss buy v1 for me.

Symbolic has always been a nice to have - great when it works, no matter when it doesn't, to me. I suppose my refusal to take it seriously is that it chucks a wobbly so often that I can't rely on it.


Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.