Hi, why does this snippet produces "variable 'a' not found"?
I looked all over and I just can't figure it out.
var('a');
var('x y z');
x = cos(a)^3;
y = sin(a)^3;
z = cos(2*a);
pl1=parametric_plot3d( (cos(t)^3, sin(t)^3, cos(2*t)), (t, 0, 2*pi));
a = pi/4;
pl2=parametric_plot3d( (x + t*(derivative(x)), y + t * (derivative(y)), z + t * (derivative(z))), (t,0,1), texture="red");
This happens because of the way python handles variables, assignment, and references. Try the following:
sage: var("x,a")
(x, a)
sage: x = cos(a)
sage: a = 1/4
sage: print x
cos(a)
sage: print(a)
1/4
In this code, a at first refers to a symbolic variable, then the name a is reassigned to the number 1/4. When x gets printed you still see the symbolic variable there whose name is a.
To get a value for a substituted into x, y, z try using the .subs method:
sage: var('a')
a
sage: x = cos(a)
sage: x.subs(a=1/4)
cos(1/4)
you forgot to do
var('t')
You also need to re-so assignments of x, y, and z after you set a to a particular value. I.e.
a = pi/4;
x = cos(a)^3;
y = sin(a)^3;
z = cos(2*a);
pl2=parametric_plot3d( (x + t*(derivative(x)), y + t * (derivative(y)), z + t * (derivative(z))), (t,0,1), texture="red");
works just fine.
Asked: 2012-05-28 03:36:57 +0100
Seen: 9,309 times
Last updated: May 28 '12
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