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<A NAME=slash>

<TITLE>slash</TITLE></A>
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<B>/</B> _ _ _ <B>SLASH</B> _ _ _  _ _ _  _ _ _  _ _ _ <B>operator</B><P>
<P>
 
The <em>/</em> operator is a prefix or infix binary division operator or 
prefix unary 
<A HREF=r37_0101.html>recip</A>rocal operator. 
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 <P> <H3> 
syntax: </H3>
&lt;expression&gt;<em>/</em>&lt;expression&gt; or 
 <em>/</em>&lt;expression&gt; 
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or <em>/</em>(&lt;expression&gt;,&lt;expression&gt;) 
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&lt;expression&gt; may be any valid REDUCE expression. 
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 <P> <H3> 
examples: </H3>
<P><PRE><TT>
20/5; 

  4  


100/6; 

  50
  -- 
  3


16/2/x; 

  8
  - 
  X


/b; 

  1
  - 
  B


/(y,5); 

  Y
  - 
  5


on rounded; 

35/4; 

  8.75 


/20; 

  0.05

</TT></PRE><P>The division operator is left associative, so that <em>a/b/c</em> 
is equivalent 
to <em>(a/b)/c</em>. The division operator is also valid with square 

<A HREF=r37_0345.html>matrix</A> expressions of the same dimensions: With A and 

B both n x n matrices and B 
invertible, A/B is 
given by A*B^-1. 
Division of a matrix by a scalar is defined, with the results being the 
division of each element of the matrix by the scalar. Division of a 
scalar by a matrix is defined if the matrix is invertible, and has the 
effect of multiplying the scalar by the inverse of the matrix. When 
<em>/</em> is used as a reciprocal operator for a matrix, the inverse of 
the matrix is returned if it exists. 
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