Is anyone familiar with REDUCE ?

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter nrqed
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the use of REDUCE for performing trace calculations in theoretical physics. Participants share their experiences and challenges with the software, as well as alternative tools for similar tasks.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty in using REDUCE for trace calculations, citing challenges with understanding Grozin's book and receiving error messages when inputting commands.
  • Another participant suggests switching to FeynCalc as an alternative, highlighting its ease of use for trace calculations.
  • A later reply mentions the limitation of not having access to Mathematica at their institution, prompting a question about the availability of FeynCalc for Maple.
  • Another participant points out the existence of examples on Grozin's website but notes the lack of a Maple version of FeynCalc.
  • One participant proposes trying FORM as another potential alternative for trace calculations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the use of REDUCE, with some expressing frustration and others suggesting alternatives. Multiple competing views on software options remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention specific software limitations and preferences, such as the lack of access to Mathematica and the need for examples in learning REDUCE. There is also uncertainty regarding the availability of certain packages for different systems.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in computational tools for theoretical physics, particularly those exploring trace calculations and software alternatives like REDUCE, FeynCalc, and FORM.

nrqed
Science Advisor
Messages
3,762
Reaction score
297
I am trying to use REDUCE to do trace calculations and am having a hard time. I do have Grozin's book but I find it very hard to learn from it (there is no simple example done, like Moller scattering for example). Even when I input things exactly as written in the book I get weird messages. For example when I typed ''spur f'' (where f is a certain fermion line) REDUCE does not recognize spur and asks me if I want to declare it an operator. Do I have to load some package first?

Is anyone familiar with Reduce?
For example, I would like to start by doing a simple trace, for example something as trivial as Trace((slash p1+M) slash k (slash p2 + m))


Thanks in advance


Patrick
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Unfortunately I cannot help you with REDUCE, but if you end up giving up on it and want to use FeynCalc instead to do your traces (and more!) I'd be more than happy to help.

FeynCalc is very easy to use too.

tldr: shameless plug for FeynCalc...
 
Hepth said:
Unfortunately I cannot help you with REDUCE, but if you end up giving up on it and want to use FeynCalc instead to do your traces (and more!) I'd be more than happy to help.

FeynCalc is very easy to use too.

tldr: shameless plug for FeynCalc...

Hey, thanks for the reply! I wish I could use FeynCalc, indeed. But I work at a small college and they do not have Mathematica set up, only Maple. Is there a version of Feyncalc for Maple?


Patrick
 
Perhaps you want to try FORM?
 

Similar threads

Graduate Problem with fields and operators in holographic duality
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Graduate How to reduce an integral in phase space to a one-dimensional form?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Help with a build error in Visual Studio
  • · Replies 57 ·
2
Replies
57
Views
5K
Graduate Scattering matrix to traces/dirac spinors
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
5K
Casimir Trick in \( e^+ e^- \to H \to f \bar{f} \)?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Graduate Solving this non-holonomic system using Dirac-Bergmann theory
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Lagrangian equations with other kinds of constraints
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Graduate Is delayed choice remote entanglement of photons derived from TDSE?
  • · Replies 58 ·
2
Replies
58
Views
5K
Old Math Textbooks from 1950s: Anybody Else Use Them?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
7K
Graduate Understanding how to derive the differential cross-section formula
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K