Piecewise functions in Maxima or GNUplot

[GregA]

I managed to lay my grubby mitts on Maxima about a month ago (fantastic program), but having no prior knowledge of CAS software or programming I am stuggling trying to figure out how to draw piecewise defined functions either through maxima itself or the GNUplot command line window (I prefer the latter for graphing)...I know that I can just graph two functions together and make a mental note of where one stops and the other starts, but what I want to do is just limit their domains, and nowhere in the help files I have can I find even a vague mention of this. can anyone help?

 

[gulsen]

a function with an if struct will do it.

http://gnuplot.info/docs/gnuplot.html#if

 

[piercas]

Piecewise functions are a commonly used mathematical concept in many fields of science, and it's great that you are exploring ways to graph them using Maxima or GNUplot. These software programs are powerful tools for scientific analysis and visualization, and it's important to have a good understanding of their capabilities in order to make the most of them.

To address your specific question, both Maxima and GNUplot have the ability to graph piecewise functions. In Maxima, you can use the "plot2d" function and specify the piecewise function as an argument. For example, if you have a piecewise function defined as f(x) = x for x < 0, and f(x) = x^2 for x >= 0, you can graph it using the command "plot2d(f(x), [x,-5,5])". This will plot the function for x values ranging from -5 to 5.

Similarly, in GNUplot, you can use the "plot" command and specify a piecewise function using the "if" and "else" statements. For example, if you have the same piecewise function as above, you can graph it using the command "plot if(x < 0, x, x^2)". This will plot the function for x values less than 0 and for x values greater than or equal to 0.

I understand that you may not have prior knowledge of CAS software or programming, but there are many resources available online to help you learn more about these programs and how to use them for specific tasks. I would suggest looking for tutorials or guides on graphing piecewise functions in Maxima or GNUplot, or even reaching out to online communities or forums for assistance.

In conclusion, both Maxima and GNUplot have the capability to graph piecewise functions, and with a little bit of practice and research, you should be able to successfully graph your desired functions. Keep exploring and learning, and I'm sure you will become more comfortable with these tools in no time. Best of luck!