Re: A little simplification problem

> expandPowers := rule x^(n+k) == x*x^(n+k-1)

> also seems to work well.  But why does Axiom not automatically apply 
> this rule for simplification of expressions involving powers, as other 
> CAS's (Maple, Maxima, Mathematica) do?

Maybe some people like to apply it in the other direction...

contractPowers := rule x*x^n == x^(n+1)

or even

combinePowers := rule x^a*x^b == x^(a+b)

Have you ever tried to apply the above rule as follows?

expandPowers(x^(n+k))

Be sure to be close to Ctrl-C, since that seems to run forever.

Ralf