with(RealDomain) does not solve the problem

dous, please note the symbolic simplification gives the wrong sign

jpmay,

thanks.

your first solution is good as one can simply replace all simplify(x) with simplify(radnormal(x))

your second solution is not acceptable for me, as i get the complete expression inside a calculation and i cannot break it up manually.

doug,

thanks.

it is obvious that the problem seems to do with branch cuts and principal values. the thing is that there seems to be a problem in the way they are resolved in the maple engine itself.

the user, while knowing complex algebra, cannot "make sense" of the results by looking at the final expression.

please notice that in my second problem (what you refer to as third),  when using the assumptions q0<0, k0<0, all powers are of positive numbers. so complex algebra and branch cuts shouldn't be an issue at all