File r37/lisp/csl/html/r37_0029.html artifact 96b69c7bc7 part of check-in f2fda60abd

<A NAME=asterisk>

<TITLE>asterisk</TITLE></A>
<b><a href=r37_idx.html>INDEX</a></b><p><p>



<B>*</B> _ _ _ <B>ASTERISK</B> _ _ _  _ _ _  _ _ _  _ _ _ <B>operator</B><P>
<P>
 
The <em>*</em> operator is a prefix or infix n-ary multiplication operator. 
<P>
<P>
 <P> <H3> 
syntax: </H3>
&lt;expression&gt; { <em>*</em> &lt;expression&gt;}+ 
<P>
<P>
or <em>*</em>(&lt;expression&gt; {,&lt;expression&gt;}+) 
<P>
<P>
<P>
&lt;expression&gt; may be any valid REDUCE expression. 
<P>
<P>
 <P> <H3> 
examples: </H3>
<P><PRE><TT>
15*3; 

  45 


24*x*yvalue*2; 

  48*X*YVALUE 


*(6,x); 

  6*X 


on rounded; 

3*1.5*x*x*x; 

       3
  4.5*X  


off rounded; 

2x**2; 

     2
  2*X

</TT></PRE><P>REDUCE assumes you are using an implicit multiplication operator w
hen an 
identifier is preceded by a number, as shown in the last line above. Since 
no valid identifiers can begin with numbers, there is no ambiguity in 
making this assumption. 
<P>
<P>
The multiplication operator is also valid with 
<A HREF=r37_0345.html>matrix</A> expressions 
of the 
proper dimensions: matrices A and B 
can be multiplied if 
A is n x m and B is 
m x p. Matrices and 
<A HREF=r37_0045.html>equation</A>s can also be 
multiplied by scalars: the 
result is as if each element was multiplied by the scalar. 
<P>
<P>
<P>