From: maple@rogers.com   
      
   On Saturday, October 30, 2021 at 3:03:32 AM UTC-4, Nasser M. Abbasi wrote:   
   > since sqrt of number is taken as the positive root, why   
   > then Maple 2021.1 says it can't show this is true or not? Is   
   > there something deep I am overlooking here?   
   >   
   > if evalb( 5^(1/2) < (5^(1/2)+1) ) then   
   > "yes, smaller";   
   > fi;   
   >   
   > Error, cannot determine if this expression is true or false: 5^(1/2) <   
   5^(1/2)+1   
   >   
   > if 5^(1/2) < (5^(1/2)+1) then   
   > "yes, smaller";   
   > fi;   
   >   
   > Error, cannot determine if this expression is true or false: 5^(1/2) <   
   5^(1/2)+1   
   >   
   > But in Mathematica it did not complain   
   >   
   > 5^(1/2) < (5^(1/2) + 1)   
   > True   
   >   
   > This is very strange. Does your CAS have any problem showing   
   > that 5^(1/2) is smaller than 5^(1/2)+1?   
   >   
   > In Maple, it can do it if I convert everything to float   
   >   
   > if evalf(5^(1/2)) < evalf((5^(1/2)+1)) then   
   > "yes, smaller";   
   > fi;   
   >   
   > "yes, smaller"   
   >   
   > --Nasser   
      
   You are simply using the wrong command, `evalb`, instead of an appropriate   
   command such as `is`.   
      
   > evalb( 5^(1/2) < (5^(1/2)+1) );   
                                       1/2    1/2   
                                      5    < 5    + 1   
      
   > is( 5^(1/2) < (5^(1/2)+1) );   
                                           true   
      
   Your incorrect preconceptions as to the designed functionality of the `evalb`   
   command are getting in your way here.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)