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Plot of (2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3)

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Bernard

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Aug 28, 2010, 7:02:12 AM8/28/10
to
I see in Calcul Diff=E9rentiel et int=E9gral, N. Piskounov, Editions
MIR, Moscou 1970, on p. 210 the graph of (2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3) with
negative values for x > 2, something like :

Plot[Piecewise[{{(2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3), x <= 2}, {-Re[(2 x^2 -
x^3)^(1/3)], x > 2}}], {x, -1, 3}]

When I plot this function with :

Plot[(2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3) // Re, {x, -1, 3}]

I obtain positives values for x > 3. I don't understand why.
Thank you very much for your help !

Murray Eisenberg

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Aug 29, 2010, 2:50:28 AM8/29/10
to
Why do you think the second Plot should give the same result: you're
clearly looking at a different function. In the first Plot, you forced
taking negatives of the real parts; in the second Plot, you do not.

Take, for example, x->3:


(2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3) /. x -> 3 // ComplexExpand // InputForm
((3*I)/2)*3^(1/6) + 3^(2/3)/2

Its real part is positive, which is exactly what the second Plot is showing.

I presume you realize that the function z^(1/3) gives the principal cube
root. And since

2 x^2 - x^3 /. x -> 3
-9

Arg[-9]
Pi

then the value of (2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3) for x->3 returned by Mathematica
is what the definition of principal cube root says it should be, namely,
the same as the value of:

Exp[Log[Abs[-9]]/3] Exp[I Arg[-9]/3] // ComplexExpand

--
Murray Eisenberg mur...@math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower phone 413 549-1020 (H)
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Matthias Bode

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Aug 29, 2010, 2:50:49 AM8/29/10
to
Please check

Table[{x, 2*x^2 - x^3, (2*x^2 - x^3)^
(1/3), Re[(2*x^2 - x^3)^(1/3)]},
{x, -4, 4}]

Best regards,

MATTHIAS BODE
S 17.35775=B0, W 066.14577=B0

> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:01:34 -0400
> From: bernard.v...@edu.ge.ch
> Subject: Plot of (2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3)
> To: math...@smc.vnet.net
>
> I see in Calcul Diff==E9rentiel et int==E9gral, N. Piskounov, Editions


> MIR, Moscou 1970, on p. 210 the graph of (2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3) with
> negative values for x > 2, something like :
>

> Plot[Piecewise[{{(2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3), x <== 2}, {-Re[(2 x^2 -

Peter Breitfeld

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Aug 29, 2010, 2:51:10 AM8/29/10
to
Bernard wrote:

The reason is, that Mathematica always uses complex arithmetic.
Especially for multi-valued roots it takes the main value e^x=Exp[e Log[b]]

f[x_]:=(2x^2-x^3)^(1/3)

f[3] --> (-1)^(1/3)*3^(2/3)
val=ComplexExpand[f[3]] --> (3/2)I*3^(1/6) + 3^(2/3)

So f[3] is a complex number with positive real part.

There are two ways to get your graph:

1. avoid non integer Powers, e.g. using ContourPlot
ContourPlot[2x^2-x^2==y^3, {x,-1,3},{y,-3,3}]

2. define a version of Power, that uses the real branch like this:

rprule=(b_?Negative)^Rational[m_,n_?OddQ]:>(-(-b)^(1/n))^m;
Attributes[realPower]={Listable,NumericFunction, OneIdentity};
realPower[b_?Negative,Rational[m_,n_?OddQ]]:=(-(-b)^(1/n))^m
realPower[x_,y_]:=x^y
realPower[x]:=x//.rprule

The last definition ensures, that realPower[(-8)^(1/3)] gives -2

Now Plot will work:
g[x_]:=realPower[2x^2-x^2,1/3]
Plot[g[x],{x,-1,3}]


--
_________________________________________________________________
Peter Breitfeld, Bad Saulgau, Germany -- http://www.pBreitfeld.de

Bernard

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Aug 30, 2010, 6:18:59 AM8/30/10
to
Thank you very much,

I conclude that Piskounov use another convention for the root z^(1/3).
He gives, for the graph of (2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3) what I obtain with :

Plot[Piecewise[{{(2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3), x <= 2}, {-Re[(2 x^2 -
x^3)^(1/3)], x > 2}}], {x, -1, 3}]

See : Calcul Differentiel et integral, N. Piskounov, Editions


MIR, Moscou 1970, on p. 210

Best Regards=

Alexei Boulbitch

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Aug 30, 2010, 6:20:46 AM8/30/10
to
You seem to have defined in the first case your real part with the sign minus at x>2,
but not in the second case, did not you?


I see in Calcul Diff=E9rentiel et int=E9gral, N. Piskounov, Editions
MIR, Moscou 1970, on p. 210 the graph of (2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3) with
negative values for x > 2, something like :

Plot[Piecewise[{{(2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3), x <= 2}, {-Re[(2 x^2 -

x^3)^(1/3)], x > 2}}], {x, -1, 3}]

When I plot this function with :

Plot[(2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3) // Re, {x, -1, 3}]

I obtain positives values for x > 3. I don't understand why.
Thank you very much for your help !


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Peter

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Aug 31, 2010, 4:27:16 AM8/31/10
to

Hi Bernard,

maybe you want

Plot[Root[#^3-(2 x^2-x^3)&,1]//Re,{x,-1,4}]

?

Peter

chungyuandye

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Sep 1, 2010, 6:27:49 AM9/1/10
to
On 8=E6=9C=8831=E6=97=A5, =E4=B8=8B=E5=8D=884=E6=99=8227=E5=88=86, Peter <i=

nsomnia.ber...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 28 Aug., 13:02, Bernard <bernard.vuilleum...@edu.ge.ch> wrote:
>
> > I see in Calcul Diff=E9rentiel et int=E9gral, N. Piskounov, Edition=

s
> > MIR, Moscou 1970, on p. 210 the graph of (2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3) with
> > negative values for x > 2, something like :
>
> > Plot[Piecewise[{{(2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3), x <= 2}, {-Re[(2 x^2 -
> > x^3)^(1/3)], =C2 x > 2}}], {x, -1, 3}]

>
> > When I plot this function with :
>
> > Plot[(2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3) // Re, {x, -1, 3}]
>
> > I obtain positives values for x > 3. I don't understand why.
> > Thank you very much for your help !
>
> Hi Bernard,
>
> maybe you want
>
> Plot[Root[#^3-(2 x^2-x^3)&,1]//Re,{x,-1,4}]
>
> ?
>
> Peter

Unprotect[Power];
Power[x_?Negative, Rational[p_, q_?OddQ]] := (-(-x)^(1/q))^p;
Protect[Power];
Plot[(2 x^2 - x^3)^(1/3), {x, -1, 3}]

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