@ecterrab ok, cool, works so far.  but slow.. is there anything else you can tell me that might help?  the system may have already told you, but just in case, see more detail here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21709620/how-to-tell-maple-two-operators-dont-commute-when-expanding-in-a-taylor-polynom

-mike

@ecterrab ok, this is great.  another question though.  in the instructions for installing the latest physics package, there are two options.  which one should I use?

 Install the updated Physics.mla to a user library folder:

or: Install files to Maple's system library folders:   ?

the rule of thumb is, when given several options, the first one is probably what you should do.  I'd like more context though, just to be sure.

@ecterrab Hi Edgardo, I've added a question to stack-overflow that you might know the answer to.. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21709620/how-to-tell-maple-two-operators-dont-commute-when-expanding-in-a-taylor-polynom

@ecterrab hi, I would like to submit a file to you (or to mapleprimes) to get advice on it.  not clear how to do that, pasting it in here looks ugly.

@ecterrab Hi, turns out I have authorization to invest in the newest version of maple, to put on this computer.  The student version.  Before I do this, I'd like to know two things:  1) are there any limitations to the student version, and 2) will it work in ubuntu?

well, fought my way through that worksheet, modifying it for my purposes.  had to complete the calculation by hand, but the result is that the result agrees with what another code I wrote to do the same thing produces.  this is good.