Math Expression Simplifying Program

Project Description

This program is a term rewriting program which repeatedly applies all the available rules to the expression being simplified. The rules are maintained in a rule book, which can be edited by the user. The program also comes with the capabilities of allowing the user to add and delete rules.

A sample run of the program is presented here. The user just entered d/dx(d/dx(x^3)) and the program showed the simplified result.

The program can also save the results in a file. Here is a part of the answer file generated from the sample questions available with the program and demostrates the program's capability of boolean simplification when the rulebook is changed.

Q. - ( y + x * y + - ( x ) + ( - ( x ) ) * y )

Absorption Laws
= - ( y + x * y + - ( x ) )

Absorption Laws
= - ( y + - ( x ) )

DeMorgan's Theorem
= ( - ( y ) ) * ( - ( - ( x ) ) )

Involution
= ( - ( y ) ) * x

Getting started

This program is designed to run on TurboC++ compiler and has been tested to run successfully on compiler version 3.2. Download the Turbo C++ compiler from its website.

Then, move the files inside the program folder inside the bin folder located in the Turbo C++ directory, which is by default in C: for Windows users. The program can then be opened and run inside the Turbo C++ IDE.

File Information

• MATH.CPP contains the program
• Q.txt contains sample questions
• RULEBOOK.TXT contains the rules for arithmetic and algebraic simplification.
• BOOLRULE.TXT contains the rules for boolean simplification.

Instructions on operating the program and available within the program itself.

Solution Implementation

The algorithm implemented for expression re-writing is based on matching and replacing parts of expressions. Numerous functions use several algorithms to achieve their task and some of the noteworthy techniques are presented as follows:

• Dijsktra’s shunting yard algorithm for conversion into postfix
• File manipulation: creating, deleting, writing, appending, traversing
• Recursive function for calculating HCF
• Push and pop operations on a stack
• Window-like user interface with enter-less input functionality
• Pausing bulk writing on the screen when text content start to move out of view