what am i doing wrong or is maxima really that worthless or could it be a bug

[zmth]

build_info(version="branch_5_44_base_231_g5c411f69f",timestamp="2021-01-12 23:51:42",host="x86_64-w64-mingw32",lisp_name="SBCL",lisp_version="2.0.0",maxima_userdir="C:/Users/zmth1/maxima",maxima_tempdir="C:/Users/zmth1/AppData/Local/Temp",maxima_objdir="C:/Users/zmth1/maxima/binary/branch_5_44_base_231_g5c411f69f/sbcl/2_0_0",maxima_frontend="wxMaxima",maxima_frontend_version="20.12.2-DevelopmentSnapshot_MSW_OpenMP201511+Locks")build_info(version="branch_5_44_base_231_g5c411f69f",timestamp="2021-01-12 23:51:42",host="x86_64-w64-mingw32",lisp_name="SBCL",lisp_version="2.0.0",maxima_userdir="C:/Users/zmth1/maxima",maxima_tempdir="C:/Users/zmth1/AppData/Local/Temp",maxima_objdir="C:/Users/zmth1/maxima/binary/branch_5_44_base_231_g5c411f69f/sbcl/2_0_0",maxima_frontend="wxMaxima",maxima_frontend_version="20.12.2-DevelopmentSnapshot_MSW_OpenMP201511+Locks")(version="branch_5_44_base_231_g5c411f69f",timestamp="2021-01-12 23:51:42",host="x86_64-w64-mingw32",lisp_name="SBCL",lisp_version="2.0.0",maxima_userdir="C:/Users/zmth1/maxima",maxima_tempdir="C:/Users/zmth1/AppData/Local/Temp",maxima_objdir="C:/Users/zmth1/maxima/binary/branch_5_44_base_231_g5c411f69f/sbcl/2_0_0",maxima_frontend="wxMaxima",maxima_frontend_version="20.12.2-DevelopmentSnapshot_MSW_OpenMP201511+Locks")

((declare([n,k],integer),assume(n>1,n>k,k>0), (n+1)!^2/k!^2/(n+1-k)!^2- n!^2/k!^2/(n-k)!^2=((n+1)^2-(n+1-k)^2)n!^2/((n+1-k)!^2k!^2))``
ratsimp((n+1)!^2/k!^2/(n+1-k)!^2- n!^2/k!^2/(n-k)!^2)

hope can understand because something is really wrong with this interface as it will NOT insert code! and for some reason put a " after the first expression when it should not have.
anyway the rhs of the first expression which is over a common denominator is what I want and certainly what should
have been the same with ratsimp but it is not - not reduced to the proper form which i had to do manually as rhs of 1st
expression. I even tried factor and that did not work either. Certainly one would not have to go to this disordinate ridiculous trouble for something maxima should do itself. Prior maxima did work and do it properly though i did not have factorial expressions which certainly should make no difference. What commands should i be using ? and don't want to have to go to gamma fct esp since all is in integers. So what does one have to do to get maxima to do what it should be doing. Eg i also even tried facsum, factorfacsum still same unreduced proper output as i had to do manually.
which is

[zmth]

well what do you know ! Wonders never cease ! I will have to take back a lot of what i said anyway it may help others with the same type of issue so I won't delete it. The key seems to be : to set he following true
factorial_expand:true though i would have thought with that type of preferred behavior and saving it would have been default true. But anyway it came back better than my first work as i forgot to combine trivial terms
(declare([n,k],integer),assume(n>1,n>k,k>0),factorial_expand:true, factor((n+1)!^2/k!^2/(n+1-k)!^2- n!^2/k!^2/(n-k)!^2)); **and did not have to convert anything to gamma** another issue here nothing to do with this issue is it seems the code and bold B don't do anything or certainly not as they do in the maxima bugs forums. Also why does it say just below 'Styling with Markdown is supported' and what does that mean. If anything it seems that it isn't.

[zmth]

NOw something really unexplainable though cannot necessarily say it is a bug either so someone please explain this non-sensical error message in red. Assume factorial_expand:falseand do:
(fp:binomial(n+1,k)^2/ binomial(2*n+2,n+1),f: binomial(n,k)^2/binomial(2*n,n), dg:(-3*n+2*k-1)*n!^2/(2*n+1)/k!^2/(n-k)!^2/binomial(2*n,n)/2-(-3*n+2*k-3)*n!^2/(2*n+1)/(k-1)!^2/(n-k+1)!^2/binomial(2*n,n)/2,for n_:2 thru 4 do for k_ thru n_-1 do(t:lratsubst([n=n_,k=k_],fp-f-dg) ,if t#0 then(fl:false,disp(["n",n_,"k",k_,t]))),fl);

And it comes back with no error as expected and true but now if i preface the above with
factorial_expand:true
it comes back with a red error "factorial: factorial of negative integer -1 not defined....." which certainly seems like a bogus error. If not please someone explain this irrational seemingly out of nowhere for NO reason one gets the red error !

[tigran123]

The answer to any question like "how is one to know ..." is ever the same: "knowledge comes only by learning, it is protected by sharing, made real and useful by wisdom and socialised by love". Seriously, there is a button labelled M Styling with Markdown is supported below this edit window -- try clicking on it and read what ensues.

[zmth]

yea i hear u. Wonder why it is that everyone else seems to know exactly what to do and no question. Anyway i understand it would be way too time consuming to try and explain all these questions at once and all this information is NOT in the maxima help file?. But anyway for right now bottom line is since there is no edit one has to erase all and just start all again i suppose ? thanks

[zmth]

yea clicking on that styling...markdown .... is quite a lot of information which seems to tell me it is a github issue rather than maxima

[tigran123]

No, that is not the bottom line at all. That is just an assumption, based on the premise "I have learnt all there is to learn about this particular interface" and both happen to be false. There certainly IS a way to edit the message. Just click on the Edit link in the menu.

[zmth]

yea i just found it just before reading your last comment so that IS quite a relief ! enough so now can get back to waiting for the real issue at hand which is the strictly maxima error message issue though i seem to have answered the main deal myself being the
factorial_expand:true or false switch. if/when have time by and by will try to learn about all these other 'do dads' without complaints and 'jumping the gun' which admitedly could be irritating to others.