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[?] Find the sets of numbers for which these identities hold validly?

Anonymous User
Anonymous User
Posted 7 years ago

Here are four identities that are true when the variable-domains are sufficiently restricted; but Mathematica doesn't evaluate them to "True", because they are not true when some variables take on complex or negative values:

In[1]:= a^x*b^x == (a*b)^x

Out[1]= a^x b^x == (a b)^x

In[2]:= (a^x)^y == a^(x*y)

Out[2]= (a^x)^y == a^(x y)

In[3]:= n*Log[x] == Log[x^n]

Out[3]= n Log[x] == Log[x^n]

In[4]:= Log[x] + Log[y] == Log[x*y]

Out[4]= Log[x] + Log[y] == Log[x y]

How can I ask Mathematica to tell me the exact conditions which make the identities valid? For which values are the identities true?

(I could solve this problem with enough thought or research, but I'm still curious how to ask Mathematica, in case I want to make similar queries about less common identities.)

Thanks.

POSTED BY: Anonymous User
2 Replies

Reduce[] will do what you want. You can specify the domain as well. For example:

In[5]:= Reduce[n Log[x] == Log[x^n], Reals]

Out[5]= x > 0

In[4]:= Reduce[a^x*b^x == (a*b)^x]

Out[4]= ((a b)^x == 0 && b^x == 0) || (b^x != 0 && 
   a^x == b^-x (a b)^x)
POSTED BY: Neil Singer
Anonymous User
Anonymous User
Posted 7 years ago
POSTED BY: Anonymous User
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