From: Albert_Rich@msn.com   
      
   On Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 5:22:55 AM UTC-10, Richard Fateman wrote:   
      
   >> Another problem I am finding, is that Maxima keeps asking for   
   >> verifications on some values during running the script, like this:   
   >>   
   >> Is ab positive or negative?   
   >> Is a zero or nonzero?   
   >   
   > It is asking these questions because it needs to know for getting   
   > the right answer.   
   > e.g.  integrate(x^n,x)  provokes the question  "is n+1 zero or nonzero?"   
   >   
   > If you don't want to be asked, you can do this beforehand:  assume(n>-1).   
   > or maybe assume(n<-1).   
   >   
   > Other systems may just plow on with a questionable answer or may respond   
   > with a complicated conditional answer... if (n=-1) then ln(x) else ....   
   > which may be correct but [a] generally stymies further processing of   
   > that expression and [b] probably fails to capture the current binding   
   > context of n,   
      
   Maxima returns 1 for n/n; whereas it returns "0 to a negative exponent" error   
   for 0/0. Instead of just plowing on with 1 for n/n, for consistency shouldn't   
   it ask if "is n zero or nonzero?"   
      
   Albert   
      
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