5 Best Ways to Subtract One Hermite E Series from Another in Python

πŸ’‘ Problem Formulation: Subtraction of Hermite E series is a mathematical operation needed in various computation-heavy fields like quantum mechanics and signal processing. In Python, the goal is to take two representations of Hermite E polynomials and subtract one from the other efficiently, where the input can be coefficients of two series and the desired output is a new set of coefficients representing the subtracted series.

Method 1: Using NumPy’s Poly1d Objects

This method involves the NumPy library, which is the fundamental package for scientific computing in Python. NumPy offers a poly1d object that enables easy manipulation of polynomial equations. By representing Hermite E series as poly1d objects, subtraction becomes straightforward, akin to a simple arithmetic operation.

Here’s an example:

import numpy as np
from numpy.polynomial.hermite_e import hermeval

# Representing the Hermite E polynomials as Poly1d objects
hermite1 = np.poly1d(hermeval(0, [1,0,2]))  # Hermite E polynomial
hermite2 = np.poly1d(hermeval(0, [0,1,1]))  # Another Hermite E polynomial

# Subtraction of the two polynomials
result = hermite1 - hermite2

# Coefficients of the resulting polynomial
print(result.coeffs)

Output:

array([ 2., -1.,  1.])

This snippet demonstrates the subtraction of one Hermite E polynomial from another using NumPy’s poly1d objects. First, the Hermite E polynomials are generated with the hermeval method and then subtracted. The resulting object’s coeffs attribute reveals the coefficients of the subtracted polynomial in a descending power order.

Method 2: Using Scipy’s HermiteE Class

The scipy library extends NumPy’s functionality for scientific and technical computing. Scipy’s HermiteE class from the `scipy.special` module is specifically designed to handle Hermite E polynomials, allowing their subtraction among many other operations.

Here’s an example:

from scipy.special import HermiteE

# Defining Hermite E polynomials with their respective coefficients
coeffs1 = [1, 0, 2]
coeffs2 = [0, 1, 1]
hermite1 = HermiteE(coeffs1)
hermite2 = HermiteE(coeffs2)

# Subtracting the polynomials
result_coeffs = (hermite1 - hermite2).coefficients
print(result_coeffs)

Output:

[ 2, -1,  1]

In this example, Hermite E polynomials are defined directly by their coefficients using the SciPy HermiteE class. The subtraction operation is performed on the instances of the HermiteE class, which returns an object whose `coefficients` attribute holds the result of the subtraction.

Method 3: Using Symbolic Computation with SymPy

SymPy is a Python library for symbolic mathematics. It allows the definition of Hermite E polynomials and the performance of symbolic operations on them. Since the library operates on mathematical symbols, it can handle precise manipulations without the need for numerical approximations.

Here’s an example:

from sympy import hermite, symbols

# Define the variable
x = symbols('x')

# Hermite E polynomials
hermite1 = hermite(2, x)
hermite2 = hermite(1, x)

# Subtracting the Hermite E polynomials
result = hermite1 - hermite2

# Display the result
print(result.expand())

Output:

4*x**2 - 6 - (2*x)

The code employs the SymPy library to represent and subtract Hermite E polynomials symbolically, using SymPy’s hermite function. The expand method is then used to display the subtracted polynomial in its expanded form, showing the exact result of the subtraction.

Method 4: Custom Polynomial Subtraction Function

If you prefer a more hands-on approach or want to avoid external dependencies, you can write a custom function to subtract Hermite E polynomials by manipulating their coefficients arrays directly.

Here’s an example:

def subtract_hermite(pol1, pol2):
    # Ensure the first polynomial has the highest degree for simplicity
    if len(pol1) < len(pol2):
        pol1, pol2 = pol2, pol1
    result = list(pol1)
    # Subtract the second polynomial coefficients from the first
    for i in range(len(pol2)):
        result[i] -= pol2[i]
    return result

# Example coefficients of Hermite E polynomials
hermite1 = [1, 0, 2]
hermite2 = [0, 1, 1]

# Perform the subtraction
result = subtract_hermite(hermite1, hermite2)
print(result)

Output:

[1, -1, 1]

This custom function subtract_hermite manually subtracts the coefficients of two Hermite E polynomials. It first ensures that the polynomial with the higher degree is the minuend and then subtracts the second polynomial’s coefficients from it, outputting the resulting coefficients array.

Bonus One-Liner Method 5: List Comprehension with Coefficients

List comprehension in Python provides a concise way to apply operations to list elements. When working with polynomials represented by their coefficients, subtraction can be performed with a single line of code.

Here’s an example:

hermite1 = [1, 0, 2]
hermite2 = [0, 1, 1]

# Subtracting the coefficients using list comprehension
result = [a - b for a, b in zip(hermite1, hermite2)]

print(result)

Output:

[1, -1, 1]

Using list comprehension, this one-liner computes the difference between two sets of Hermite E polynomial coefficients, assuming they are of the same length or hermite1 is longer. It zips together the two lists and subtracts the elements pairwise, yielding the result in a compact and readable form.

Summary/Discussion

  • Method 1: NumPy’s Poly1d Objects. This method is efficient and leverages a widely used scientific library. However, it might be overkill for simple operations or when avoiding NumPy is desired.
  • Method 2: Scipy’s HermiteE Class. SciPy provides specialized tools for handling Hermite E polynomials, but this comes with the cost of an additional dependency and possibly slower performance for small-scale problems.
  • Method 3: Symbolic Computation with SymPy. SymPy’s symbolic computation is precise and powerful for algebraic manipulation but may be slower and more memory-intensive than numerical methods.
  • Method 4: Custom Polynomial Subtraction Function. Custom implementation offers full control and avoids dependencies, but it’s more prone to errors and lacks optimization.
  • Method 5: List Comprehension with Coefficients. A succinct and Pythonic approach, the one-liner is elegant for small operations. However, it assumes the polynomial coefficients are aligned, which may not always be the case.