From: Daniel Carrera <dcarrera@...>
Date: 2003-02-07T04:44:30+09:00
Subject: Re: Returning a class.


> ----- Original Message -----
> Is it possible to generate a class at run-time and return it?
> ----------------------------
> 
> Not exactly sure what you are looking for, but maybe this will help you?  If
> not, could you give a little more information about what you want your
> auto-generated class to look like?

What you wrote helps, I think.  I'll try to implement it.  But to answer your 
question, this is what I want:
  
I put together a Polynomial class.  You can use it like this:
  
$ irb
>> require 'poly'
=> true
>> include Math::Polynomial
=> Object
>> puts 7 * X**3 + 4 * X**2 - 14 * X**3 - 5 * X **17 - 23
      17      3      2
 - 5 X   - 7 X  + 4 X  - 23
=> nil
>> puts (X - 1) * (X + 1)
   2
  X  - 1
=> nil
>>

After I've done some more work, I'd like to extend this so that it works over any 
ring (not just real numbers).  I think that it would be neat.

I also thought that I could make a Frac() class that gives you the fraction field 
of a ring (class).   For instance, Frac(Integer) would be the same thing as 
Rational.

If I define a similar Polynomial, I could use Frac(Polynomial(Integer)) to define 
a class whose elements are of form p(x)/q(x) 

I don't know how I would do this.  I was just investigating the possibility.

-- 
Daniel Carrera
Graduate Teaching Assistant.  Math Dept.
University of Maryland.  (301) 405-5137