Plotting¶

Plot2D(expr[, x0:x1][, option=value[, ...]])
Plot2D({expr1, expr2, ..., exprn}[, x0:x1][, option=value[, ...]])

Param f(x)

unevaluated expression containing one variables (function to be plotted)

Param list

list of functions to plot

Param a}, {b

numbers, plotting range in the $$x$$ coordinate

Param option

atom, option name

Param value

atom, number or string (value of option)

The routine Plot2D() performs adaptive plotting of one or several functions of one variable in the specified range. The result is presented as a line given by the equation $$y=f(x)$$. Several functions can be plotted at once. Various plotting options can be specified. Output can be directed to a plotting program (the default is to use {data}) to a list of values. The function parameter {f(x)} must evaluate to a yacas expression containing at most one variable. (The variable does not have to be called {x}.) Also, {N(f(x))} must evaluate to a real (not complex) numerical value when given a numerical value of the argument {x}. If the function {f(x)} does not satisfy these requirements, an error is raised. Several functions may be specified as a list and they do not have to depend on the same variable, for example, {{f(x), g(y)}}. The functions will be plotted on the same graph using the same coordinate ranges. If you have defined a function which accepts a number but does not accept an undefined variable, {Plot2D} will fail to plot it. Use {NFunction} to overcome this difficulty. Data files are created in a temporary directory {/tmp/plot.tmp/} unless otherwise requested. File names and other information is printed if {InVerboseMode()} returns True on using {V()}. The current algorithm uses Newton-Cotes quadratures and some heuristics for error estimation (see <yacasdoc://Algo/3/1/>). The initial grid of {points+1} points is refined between any grid points $$x0$$, $$x1$$ if the integral $$Integrate(x,a,b)f(x)$$ is not approximated to the given precision by the existing grid. Default plotting range is {-5:5}. Range can also be specified as {x= -5:5} (note the mandatory space separating “{=}” and “{-}”); currently the variable name {x} is ignored in this case. Options are of the form {option=value}. Currently supported option names are: “points”, “precision”, “depth”, “output”, “filename”, “yrange”. Option values are either numbers or special unevaluated atoms such as {data}. If you need to use the names of these atoms in your script, strings can be used. Several option/value pairs may be specified (the function {Plot2D} has a variable number of arguments).

• {yrange}: the range of ordinates to use for plotting, e.g. {yrange=0:20}. If no range is specified, the default is usually to leave the choice to the plotting backend.

• {points}: initial number of points (default 23) – at least that many points will be plotted. The initial grid of this many points will be adaptively refined.

• {precision}: graphing precision (default $$10^(-6)$$). This is interpreted as the relative precision of computing the integral of $$f(x)-Min(f(x))$$ using the grid points. For a smooth, non-oscillating function this value should be roughly 1/(number of screen pixels in the plot).

• {depth}: max. refinement depth, logarithmic (default 5) – means there will be at most $$2^depth$$ extra points per initial grid point.

• {output}: name of the plotting backend. Supported names: {data} (default). The {data} backend will return the data as a list of pairs such as {{{x1,y1}, {x2,y2}, …}}.

• {filename}: specify name of the created data file. For example: {filename=”data1.txt”}. The default is the name {“output.data”}. Note that if several functions are plotted, the data files will have a number appended to the given name, for example {data.txt1}, {data.txt2}.

Other options may be supported in the future.

The current implementation can deal with a singularity within the plotting range only if the function {f(x)} returns {Infinity}, {-Infinity} or {Undefined} at the singularity. If the function {f(x)} generates a numerical error and fails at a singularity, {Plot2D} will fail if one of the grid points falls on thez singularity. (All grid points are generated by bisection so in principle the endpoints and the {points} parameter could be chosen to avoid numerical singularities.)

Plot3DS(expr[, option=value[, ...]])
Plot3DS({expr1, expr2, ..., exprn}[, option=value[, ...]])

three-dimensional (surface) plotting

The routine Plot3DS() performs adaptive plotting of a function of two variables in the specified ranges. The result is presented as a surface given by the equation $$z=f(x,y)$$. Several functions can be plotted at once, by giving a list of functions. Various plotting options can be specified. Output can be directed to a plotting program (the default is to use {data}), to a list of values. The function parameter {f(x,y)} must evaluate to a Yacas expression containing at most two variables. (The variables do not have to be called {x} and {y}.) Also, {N(f(x,y))} must evaluate to a real (not complex) numerical value when given numerical values of the arguments {x}, {y}. If the function {f(x,y)} does not satisfy these requirements, an error is raised. Several functions may be specified as a list but they have to depend on the same symbolic variables, for example, {{f(x,y), g(y,x)}}, but not {{f(x,y), g(a,b)}}. The functions will be plotted on the same graph using the same coordinate ranges. If you have defined a function which accepts a number but does not accept an undefined variable, {Plot3DS} will fail to plot it. Use {NFunction} to overcome this difficulty. Data files are created in a temporary directory {/tmp/plot.tmp/} unless otherwise requested. File names and other information is printed if {InVerboseMode()} returns True on using {V()}. The current algorithm uses Newton-Cotes cubatures and some heuristics for error estimation (see <yacasdoc://Algo/3/1/>). The initial rectangular grid of {xpoints+1}*{ypoints+1} points is refined within any rectangle where the integral of $$f(x,y)$$ is not approximated to the given precision by the existing grid. Default plotting range is {-5:5} in both coordinates. A range can also be specified with a variable name, e.g. {x= -5:5} (note the mandatory space separating “{=}” and “{-}”). The variable name {x} should be the same as that used in the function {f(x,y)}. If ranges are not given with variable names, the first variable encountered in the function {f(x,y)} is associated with the first of the two ranges. Options are of the form {option=value}. Currently supported option names are “points”, “xpoints”, “ypoints”, “precision”, “depth”, “output”, “filename”, “xrange”, “yrange”, “zrange”. Option values are either numbers or special unevaluated atoms such as {data}. If you need to use the names of these atoms in your script, strings can be used (e.g. {output=”data”}). Several option/value pairs may be specified (the function {Plot3DS} has a variable number of arguments).

• {xrange}, {yrange}: optionally override coordinate ranges. Note that {xrange} is always the first variable and {yrange} the second variable, regardless of the actual variable names.

• {zrange}: the range of the $$z$$ axis to use for plotting, e.g. {zrange=0:20}. If no range is specified, the default is usually to leave the choice to the plotting backend. Automatic choice based on actual values may give visually inadequate plots if the function has a singularity.

• {points}, {xpoints}, {ypoints}: initial number of points (default 10 each) – at least that many points will be plotted in each coordinate. The initial grid of this many points will be adaptively refined. If {points} is specified, it serves as a default for both {xpoints} and {ypoints}; this value may be overridden by {xpoints} and {ypoints} values.

• {precision}: graphing precision (default $$0.01$$). This is interpreted as the relative precision of computing the integral of $$f(x,y)-Min(f(x,y))$$ using the grid points. For a smooth, non-oscillating function this value should be roughly 1/(number of screen pixels in the plot).

• {depth}: max. refinement depth, logarithmic (default 3) – means there will be at most $$2^depth$$ extra points per initial grid point (in each coordinate).

• {output}: name of the plotting backend. Supported names: {data} (default). The {data} backend will return the data as a list of triples such as {{{x1, y1, z1}, {x2, y2, z2}, …}}.

Other options may be supported in the future.

The current implementation can deal with a singularity within the plotting range only if the function {f(x,y)} returns {Infinity}, {-Infinity} or {Undefined} at the singularity. If the function {f(x,y)} generates a numerical error and fails at a singularity, {Plot3DS} will fail only if one of the grid points falls on the singularity. (All grid points are generated by bisection so in principle the endpoints and the {xpoints}, {ypoints} parameters could be chosen to avoid numerical singularities.)

The {filename} option is optional if using graphical backends, but can be used to specify the location of the created data file.

Example

In> Plot3DS(a*b^2)
Out> True;
In> V(Plot3DS(Sin(x)*Cos(y),x=0:20, y=0:20,depth=3))
CachedConstant: Info: constant Pi is being
recalculated at precision 10
CachedConstant: Info: constant Pi is being
recalculated at precision 11
Plot3DS: using 1699  points for function Sin(x)*Cos(y)
Plot3DS: max. used 8 subdivisions for Sin(x)*Cos(y)
Plot3DS'datafile: created file '/tmp/plot.tmp/data1'
Out> True;