Using function with multiple definitions in Manipulate

Question

I'm trying to use Manipulate to visually try out different values of lambda in a Box-Cox transformation. I've created a boxcox function with two definitions to deal with both the normal case and the case when lambda is 0:

boxcox[data_, 0] := Log[data]
boxcox[data_, l_] := (data^l - 1)/l

Then I use this function inside Manipulate but I keep getting tons of errors. It looks like Manipulate is only using the general definition and starts complaining about dividing by zero.

Manipulate[
 pdata = Partition[boxcox[data, u], 12];
 ranges = Max[#] - Min[#] & /@ pdata;
 means = Mean[#] & /@ pdata;
 mrdata = Transpose[{means, ranges}];
 mrlm = LinearModelFit[mrdata, x, x];
 Show[
  ListPlot[mrdata, Axes -> False, Frame -> True, 
   AxesOrigin -> {Automatic, 0}],
  Plot[mrlm[x], {x, Min[means], Max[means]}]
  ],
 {u, 0.00, 1.00}
 ]

Here is the data I'm using in case it matters:

data = {154., 96., 73., 49., 36., 59., 95., 169., 210., 278., 298., 245., \
200., 118., 90., 79., 78., 91., 167., 169., 289., 347., 375., 203., \
223., 104., 107., 85., 75., 99., 135., 211., 335., 460., 488., 326., \
346., 261., 224., 141., 148., 145., 223., 272., 445., 560., 612., \
467., 518., 404., 300., 210., 196., 186., 247., 343., 464., 680., \
711., 610., 613., 392., 273., 322., 189., 257., 324., 404., 677., \
858., 895., 664., 628., 308., 324., 248., 272.}

Mr.Wizard · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-08T10:32:42.683

7

As already explained: MatchQ[0, 0.] is False.

Generally, I suggest using:

boxcox[data_, x_ /; x == 0] := Log[data]

This works even for expression that are not expressly 0 or 0., e.g.:

MatchQ[E^(I Pi/4) - (-1)^(1/4), x_ /; x == 0]

True

It also works in cases like this:

MatchQ[0.0000000000000000000, x_ /; x == 0]

True

Compare:

MatchQ[0.0000000000000000000, 0 | 0.]

False

edited Apr 08 '13 at 10:32

answered May 04 '12 at 22:34

Mr.Wizard

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score 6 · Answer 2 · answered May 04 '12 at 22:05

You have only defined your function for 0, which is different from 0.

Head /@ {0, 0.}
(* {Integer, Real} *)

So the function is strictly defined only for an exact value of 0 with the head Integer. However, when you use it in Manipulate, the value being passed to it is a machine precision number with the head Real, and hence it uses the latter definition, since you haven't special-cased it.

To avoid it, redefine the first definition for your function as:

boxcox[data_, 0 | 0.] := Log[data]

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered May 04 '12 at 22:06

Since u is a floating point number it never matches an integer zero (as a pattern).

This works as expected:

boxcox[data_, 0.] := Log[data]

Another solution would be to define your function like this:

boxcox[data_, l_] := If[l == 0, Log[data], (data^l - 1)/l]

Using function with multiple definitions in Manipulate

3 Answers3

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