snappy 3.1.1__cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl → 3.2__cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl

snappy/doc/_sources/ptolemy_examples2.rst.txt

@@ -1,363 +1,363 @@
-Step-by-step examples: Part 2
-=============================
-    
-.. _ptolemy-example-smart-lists:
-
-The Ptolemy list type
----------------------
-
-Recall that ``ptolemy_variety`` with ``obstruction_class='all'`` returns a list of varieties, one for each obstruction class::
-    
-    >>> M = Manifold("m003")
-    >>> M.ptolemy_variety(2, obstruction_class = 'all')
-    [Ptolemy Variety for m003, N = 2, obstruction_class = 0
-        c_0011_0 * c_0101_0 + c_0011_0^2 - c_0101_0^2
-        c_0011_0 * c_0101_0 + c_0011_0^2 - c_0101_0^2
-        - 1 + c_0011_0,
-     Ptolemy Variety for m003, N = 2, obstruction_class = 1
-        - c_0011_0 * c_0101_0 - c_0011_0^2 - c_0101_0^2
-        - c_0011_0 * c_0101_0 - c_0011_0^2 - c_0101_0^2
-        - 1 + c_0011_0]
-
-Also recall that ``retrieve_solutions`` was a method of a ``PtolemyVariety``. Assume we want to call ``retrieve_solutions`` for each Ptolemy variety. As in the previous example, we could write a loop such as::
- 
-    >>> [p.retrieve_solutions(verbose=False) for p in M.ptolemy_variety(2, 'all')]
-
-The ptolemy module allows to do this in a much shorter way::
-
-    >>> M.ptolemy_variety(2, 'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False)
-    [[PtolemyCoordinates(
-          {'c_0011_0': 1,
-           'c_0011_1': -1,
-           'c_0101_0': Mod(x, x^2 - x - 1),
-	   ...,
-           's_3_1': 1},
-          is_numerical = False, ...)],
-     [PtolemyCoordinates(
-          {'c_0011_0': 1,
-           'c_0011_1': -1,
-           'c_0101_0': Mod(x, x^2 + x + 1),
-	   ...,
-           's_3_1': 1},
-          is_numerical = False, ...)]]
-
-This behavior is specific to the ptolemy module. It works with many methods of the ptolemy module that
-can potentially return more than one object. These methods return a special kind of list (usually
-``MethodMappingList``, a subclass of python ``list``) that tries to call the method of the given name (here ``retrieve_solutions``) with
-the given arguments (here ``verbose=False``) on each element in the list (here the two Ptolemy varieties).
-
-Since ``retrieve_solutions`` itself actually returns a list, the result is a list of lists of solutions which are of type ``PtolemyCoordinates``. The first level groups the solutions by obstruction class. The inner lists contain the different (non-Galois conjugate) solutions for each obstruction class (here, for ``m003``, each inner lists contains only one element).
-
-Using the Ptolemy list type recursively
----------------------------------------
-
-The list type described in the previous example works recursively. Recall that an algebraic solution to a Ptolemy variety (of type ``PtolemyCoordinates``) has a method ``volume_numerical`` that returns a list of volumes::
-
-     >>> M=Manifold("m003")
-     >>> p=M.ptolemy_variety(2,1)
-     >>> sol=p.retrieve_solutions(verbose=False)[0]
-     >>> sol.volume_numerical()
-     [0.E-19, 1.88267370443418 E-14]
-
-We can chain these commands together to retrieve the volumes of all boundary-unipotent PSL(2, **C**) (that are :ref:`generically decorated <ptolemy-generically-decorated>` with respect to the triangulation) in just one line::
-
-    >>> Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical()
-    [[[0.E-19, 1.88267370443418 E-14]], [[2.02988321281931, -2.02988321281931]]]
-
-Note that the volumes of the representations are in a list of lists of lists. At the first level the volumes are grouped by obstruction class, then by Galois conjugacy.
-
-**Remark:** There might be an extra level for witness points.
-
-**Remark:** Unfortunately, this is not compatible with tab-autocompletion, see :ref:`later <ptolemy-example-missing-auto-completion>`.
-
-A comparison of ``m003`` and ``m004``
--------------------------------------
-
-We can now compare the set of volumes of ``m003`` and ``m004``:
-
-    >>> Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical()
-    [[[0.E-19, 1.88267370443418 E-14]], [[2.02988321281931, -2.02988321281931]]]
-    >>> Manifold("m004").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical()
-    [[], [[-2.02988321281931, 2.02988321281931]]]
-
-We see that the two manifolds are distinguished by their volumes of boundary-unipotent representations: ``m004`` has no representation with trivial volume (this is not a proof as in theory, there could be such a representation which is not :ref:`generically decorated <ptolemy-generically-decorated>` with respect to the given triangulation) and no representation that can be lifted to a boundary-unipotent SL(2, **C**)-representation.
-
-A non-hyperbolic example
-------------------------
-
-We can also compute the volumes for a manifold that might be non-hyperbolic, here the complement of the 5\ :sub:`1` knot::
-
-    >>> Manifold("5_1").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical()
-    [[], [[1.52310839130992 E-14, 0.E-37]]]
-
-Note that one of the Ptolemy varieties is non-empty which proves that all edges of the triangulation are essential. We also see that all volumes are 0 and thus smaller than the volume 2.029883... of the figure-eight knot complement that is proven to be the smallest volume of any orientable cusped manifold. Thus, it follows from Theorem 1.3 and Remark 1.4 of [GGZ2014]_ that 5\ :sub:`1` is not hyperbolic.
-
-**Remark:** The ptolemy module does not (yet) support interval arithmetics, otherwise, this would be a proof that 5\ :sub:`1` is not hyperbolic.
-
-
-Flattening nested structures
-----------------------------
-
-If we want to loose some of the grouping, we can call ``flatten`` on the results. Here the grouping by obstruction class is lost::
-
-    >>> Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical().flatten()
-    [[0.E-19, 1.88267370443418 E-14], [2.02988321281931, -2.02988321281931]]
-
-And now, the grouping by Galois conjugacy is lost as well, resulting in a flat list::
-
-    >>> Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical().flatten(2)
-    [0.E-19, 1.88267370443418 E-14, 2.02988321281931, -2.02988321281931]
-
-So the result is just a flat list.
-
-**Remark:** We cannot `overflatten`. If we give an even larger argument to flatten, the result will just stay a flat list.
-
-.. _ptolemy-example-missing-auto-completion:
-
-Lack of tab-autocompletion for nested structures
--------------------------------------------------
-
-Unfortunately, the autocompletion does not list all the desired results when we have a nested structure. For example::
-
-    >>> sols = Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False)
-    >>> sols.
-
-When we now hit the tab key::
-
-    >>> sols.
-    sols.append   sols.extend   sols.index    sols.pop      sols.reverse  
-    sols.count    sols.flatten  sols.insert   sols.remove   sols.sort
-
-... we only get ``list`` methods, but not the desired ``volume_numerical``. One way to discover the available methods is to pick a leaf of the nested structure and hit the tab key::
-
-    >>> sol = sols.flatten(100)[0]
-    >>> sol.
-    sol.N                                   sol.keys
-    sol.check_against_manifold              sol.long_edge
-    ...
-    sol.itervalues                          sol.volume_numerical
-
-The overview diagram might also be helpful.
-
-Converting exact solutions into numerical solutions
----------------------------------------------------
-
-We can turn exact solutions into numerical solutions by calling ``numerical``::
-
-    >>> sol = Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2, 1).retrieve_solutions()[0]
-    >>> sol
-    PtolemyCoordinates(
-        {'c_0011_0': 1,
-         'c_0011_1': -1,
-         'c_0101_0': Mod(x, x^2 + x + 1),
-	 ...
-         's_3_1': 1},
-        is_numerical = False, ...)
-    >>> sol.numerical()
-    [PtolemyCoordinates(
-         {'c_0011_0': 1,
-          'c_0011_1': -1,
-          'c_0101_0': -0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
-	  ...,
-          's_3_1': 1},
-         is_numerical = True, ...),
-     PtolemyCoordinates(
-         {'c_0011_0': 1,
-          'c_0011_1': -1,
-          'c_0101_0': -0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
-	  ...,
-          's_3_1': 1},
-         is_numerical = True, ...)]
-
-Note that the one exact (algebraic) solution turns into a list of numerical solutions which are Galois conjugates.
-
-**Remark:** This uses the current pari precision. See the :ref:`above example <ptolemy-example-increase-precision>`, in particular, the comment about interval arithmetics.
-
-**Remark:** Calling ``numerical()`` on a numerical solution does nothing.
-
-**Remark:** ``CrossRatios`` also support ``numerical``.
-
-.. _ptolemy-example-numerical-matrix:
-
-Working with exact vs numerical solutions
------------------------------------------
-
-Most methods such as ``evaluate_word`` or ``cross_ratios`` work just the same way on an exact solution::
-
-   >>> exact_sol = Manifold("m004").ptolemy_variety(2, 1).retrieve_solutions()[0]
-   >>> exact_sol
-   PtolemyCoordinates(
-       {'c_0011_0': 1,
-        'c_0011_1': -1,
-        'c_0101_0': 1,
-        'c_0101_1': Mod(x, x^2 + x + 1),
-        ...,
-	's_3_1': -1},
-       is_numerical = False, ...)
-   >>> exact_sol.evaluate_word('a')
-   [[Mod(-2*x, x^2 + x + 1), Mod(-x - 1, x^2 + x + 1)],
-    [Mod(x, x^2 + x + 1), Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1)]]
-
-... as they do on a numerical solution::
-
-   >>> numerical_sol = sol.numerical()[0]
-   >>> numerical_sol
-   PtolemyCoordinates(
-       {'c_0011_0': 1,
-        'c_0011_1': -1,
-        'c_0101_0': 1,
-        'c_0101_1': -0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
-	...,
-	's_3_1': -1},
-       is_numerical = False, ...)
-   >>> numerical_sol.evaluate_word('a')
-   [[1.00000000000000 + 1.73205080756888*I,
-     -0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I],
-    [-0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
-     0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I]]
-
-Methods with postfix ``_numerical`` are special: when applied to an exact solution, they implicitly convert it to a list
-of Galois conjugate numerical solutions first. ``volume_numerical`` is an example (because volume is a transcendental function)::
-
-    >>> exact_sol.volume_numerical()
-    [-2.02988321281931, 2.02988321281931]
-    >>> numerical_sol.volume_numerical()
-    -2.02988321281931
-
-.. _ptolemy-example-retrieve-numerical-solutions:
-
-Computing numerical solutions directly
---------------------------------------
-
-We can also directly compute numerical solutions::
-
-    >>> M = Manifold("m004")
-    >>> sols = M.ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(numerical = True)
-    [[],
-     [[PtolemyCoordinates(
-           {'c_0011_0': 1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
-            'c_0011_1': -1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
-            'c_0101_0': 1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
-            'c_0101_1': -0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
-	    ...,
-            's_3_1': -1},
-           is_numerical = True, ...),
-       PtolemyCoordinates(
-           {'c_0011_0': 1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
-            'c_0011_1': -1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
-            'c_0101_0': 1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
-            'c_0101_1': -0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
-	    ...,
-            's_3_1': -1},
-           is_numerical = True, ...)]]]    
-
-The structure is as described earlier, a list of lists of lists: first solutions are grouped by obstruction class, then by Galois conjugacy.
-
-The advantage over going through the exact solutions is that it might be much faster
-(because it can avoid computing the number field from the lexicographic Groebner basis, see later). For example, many PSL(3, **C**) examples only work when using ``numerical = True``.
-
-.. _ptolemy-example-cross-ratios:
-
-Computing cross ratios from Ptolemy coordinates
------------------------------------------------
-
-Given exact or numerical solutions to the Ptolemy variety, we can also compute the cross ratios/shape parameters::
-
-    >>> sols = Manifold("m004").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False)
-    >>> zs=sols.cross_ratios()
-    >>> zs
-    [[],
-     [CrossRatios({'z_0000_0': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1),
-                   'z_0000_1': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1),
-                   'zp_0000_0': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1),
-                   'zp_0000_1': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1),
-                   'zpp_0000_0': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1),
-                   'zpp_0000_1': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1)},
-		  is_numerical = False, ...)]]
-
-**Remark**: The shapes will be given as element in the Ptolemy field with defining polynomial being the second argument to ``Mod(..., ...)``, here, x\ :sup:`2`\ +x+1. The Ptolemy field is a (possibly trivial) extension of the shape field. For *N* =2, the Ptolemy field is the trace field [GGZ2014]_ and an iterated square extension of the shape field which is the invariant trace field for a cusped manifold.
-
-And numerically, so that we can compare to SnapPy's shapes::
-
-    >>> zs.numerical()
-    [[],
-     [[CrossRatios(
-           {'z_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
-            'z_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
-            'zp_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
-            'zp_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
-            'zpp_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
-            'zpp_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I},
-           is_numerical = True, ...),
-       CrossRatios(
-           {'z_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
-            'z_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
-            'zp_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
-            'zp_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
-            'zpp_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
-            'zpp_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I},
-           is_numerical = True, ...)]]]
-    >>> Manifold("m004").tetrahedra_shapes('rect')
-    [0.5000000000 + 0.8660254038*I, 0.5000000000 + 0.8660254038*I]
-
-The result is of type ``CrossRatios`` and assigns z as well as z'=1/(1-z) and z''=1-1/z a value.
-
-.. _ptolemy-non-zero-dim-comp:
-
-The dimension of a component
-----------------------------
-
-A Ptolemy variety might have positively dimensional components (note that this might or might not be a positively dimensional family of representations, see :ref:`here <ptolemy-generically-decorated>`). For example, the Ptolemy variety for ``m371`` and the trivial obstruction class has a 1-dimensional component. This is indicated by::
-
-    >>> M.ptolemy_variety(2).retrieve_solutions()
-    [NonZeroDimensionalComponent(dimension = 1)]
-
-Or::
-
-    >>> M=Manifold("m371")
-    >>> M.ptolemy_variety(2).retrieve_solutions()
-    [[ PtolemyCoordinates(
-           {'c_0011_0': 1,
-            'c_0011_1': -1,
-            'c_0011_2': -1,
-            'c_0011_3': Mod(-x - 1, x^2 + x + 2),
-	    ...,
-            's_3_4': 1},
-           is_numerical = False, ...) 
-       (witnesses for NonZeroDimensionalComponent(dimension = 1, free_variables = ['c_0110_2'])) ]]
-
-The latter actually also provides a sample point (:ref:`witness <ptolemy-example-find-witness>` which we will use :ref:`later <ptolemy-example-non-zero-dim-rep>` to determine whether this corresponds to a 1-dimensional family of representations or not) on the 1-dimensional component. A ``NonZeroDimensionalComponent`` as well as ``PtolemyCoordinates`` (that correspond to 0-dimensional components of the Ptolemy variety)) has a ``dimension`` attribute, so we can do::
- 
-    >>> M=Manifold("m371")
-    >>> sols = M.ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions()
-    >>> sols.dimension
-    [[1], [], [0], []]
-
-This means that the Ptolemy variety for the trivial obstruction class has a 1-dimensional component and that the Ptolemy variety of one of the other obstruction classes a 0-dimensional component.
-
-A ``NonZeroDimensionalComponent`` is actually again a list whose elements will be witness points if witnesses have been computed for this Ptolemy variety.
-
-**Warning:** This implies that if we ``flatten`` too much, the reported dimension becomes 0 which is the dimension of the witness point instead of 1::
-
-    >>> sols.flatten()
-    [1, 0]
-    
-Too much ``flatten``::
-    
-    >>> sols.flatten()
-    [0, 0]
-
-The advantage is that we can still call methods such as ``volume_numerical`` and actually see the volume of a witness point (it is known that the volume stays constant on a component of boundary-unipotent representations, so one witness point can tell us the volume of all representation in that component)::
-
-    >>> sols.volume_numerical()
-    [[[ [0.E-38, 0.E-38] (witnesses for NonZeroDimensionalComponent(dimension = 1, free_variables = ['c_0110_2'])) ]],
-     [],
-     [[4.75170196551790,
-       -4.75170196551790,
-       4.75170196551790,
-       -4.75170196551790,
-       1.17563301006556,
-       -1.17563301006556,
-       1.17563301006556,
-       -1.17563301006556]],
-     []]
+Step-by-step examples: Part 2
+=============================
+    
+.. _ptolemy-example-smart-lists:
+
+The Ptolemy list type
+---------------------
+
+Recall that ``ptolemy_variety`` with ``obstruction_class='all'`` returns a list of varieties, one for each obstruction class::
+    
+    >>> M = Manifold("m003")
+    >>> M.ptolemy_variety(2, obstruction_class = 'all')
+    [Ptolemy Variety for m003, N = 2, obstruction_class = 0
+        c_0011_0 * c_0101_0 + c_0011_0^2 - c_0101_0^2
+        c_0011_0 * c_0101_0 + c_0011_0^2 - c_0101_0^2
+        - 1 + c_0011_0,
+     Ptolemy Variety for m003, N = 2, obstruction_class = 1
+        - c_0011_0 * c_0101_0 - c_0011_0^2 - c_0101_0^2
+        - c_0011_0 * c_0101_0 - c_0011_0^2 - c_0101_0^2
+        - 1 + c_0011_0]
+
+Also recall that ``retrieve_solutions`` was a method of a ``PtolemyVariety``. Assume we want to call ``retrieve_solutions`` for each Ptolemy variety. As in the previous example, we could write a loop such as::
+ 
+    >>> [p.retrieve_solutions(verbose=False) for p in M.ptolemy_variety(2, 'all')]
+
+The ptolemy module allows to do this in a much shorter way::
+
+    >>> M.ptolemy_variety(2, 'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False)
+    [[PtolemyCoordinates(
+          {'c_0011_0': 1,
+           'c_0011_1': -1,
+           'c_0101_0': Mod(x, x^2 - x - 1),
+	   ...,
+           's_3_1': 1},
+          is_numerical = False, ...)],
+     [PtolemyCoordinates(
+          {'c_0011_0': 1,
+           'c_0011_1': -1,
+           'c_0101_0': Mod(x, x^2 + x + 1),
+	   ...,
+           's_3_1': 1},
+          is_numerical = False, ...)]]
+
+This behavior is specific to the ptolemy module. It works with many methods of the ptolemy module that
+can potentially return more than one object. These methods return a special kind of list (usually
+``MethodMappingList``, a subclass of python ``list``) that tries to call the method of the given name (here ``retrieve_solutions``) with
+the given arguments (here ``verbose=False``) on each element in the list (here the two Ptolemy varieties).
+
+Since ``retrieve_solutions`` itself actually returns a list, the result is a list of lists of solutions which are of type ``PtolemyCoordinates``. The first level groups the solutions by obstruction class. The inner lists contain the different (non-Galois conjugate) solutions for each obstruction class (here, for ``m003``, each inner lists contains only one element).
+
+Using the Ptolemy list type recursively
+---------------------------------------
+
+The list type described in the previous example works recursively. Recall that an algebraic solution to a Ptolemy variety (of type ``PtolemyCoordinates``) has a method ``volume_numerical`` that returns a list of volumes::
+
+     >>> M=Manifold("m003")
+     >>> p=M.ptolemy_variety(2,1)
+     >>> sol=p.retrieve_solutions(verbose=False)[0]
+     >>> sol.volume_numerical()
+     [0.E-19, 1.88267370443418 E-14]
+
+We can chain these commands together to retrieve the volumes of all boundary-unipotent PSL(2, **C**) (that are :ref:`generically decorated <ptolemy-generically-decorated>` with respect to the triangulation) in just one line::
+
+    >>> Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical()
+    [[[0.E-19, 1.88267370443418 E-14]], [[2.02988321281931, -2.02988321281931]]]
+
+Note that the volumes of the representations are in a list of lists of lists. At the first level the volumes are grouped by obstruction class, then by Galois conjugacy.
+
+**Remark:** There might be an extra level for witness points.
+
+**Remark:** Unfortunately, this is not compatible with tab-autocompletion, see :ref:`later <ptolemy-example-missing-auto-completion>`.
+
+A comparison of ``m003`` and ``m004``
+-------------------------------------
+
+We can now compare the set of volumes of ``m003`` and ``m004``:
+
+    >>> Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical()
+    [[[0.E-19, 1.88267370443418 E-14]], [[2.02988321281931, -2.02988321281931]]]
+    >>> Manifold("m004").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical()
+    [[], [[-2.02988321281931, 2.02988321281931]]]
+
+We see that the two manifolds are distinguished by their volumes of boundary-unipotent representations: ``m004`` has no representation with trivial volume (this is not a proof as in theory, there could be such a representation which is not :ref:`generically decorated <ptolemy-generically-decorated>` with respect to the given triangulation) and no representation that can be lifted to a boundary-unipotent SL(2, **C**)-representation.
+
+A non-hyperbolic example
+------------------------
+
+We can also compute the volumes for a manifold that might be non-hyperbolic, here the complement of the 5\ :sub:`1` knot::
+
+    >>> Manifold("5_1").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical()
+    [[], [[1.52310839130992 E-14, 0.E-37]]]
+
+Note that one of the Ptolemy varieties is non-empty which proves that all edges of the triangulation are essential. We also see that all volumes are 0 and thus smaller than the volume 2.029883... of the figure-eight knot complement that is proven to be the smallest volume of any orientable cusped manifold. Thus, it follows from Theorem 1.3 and Remark 1.4 of [GGZ2014]_ that 5\ :sub:`1` is not hyperbolic.
+
+**Remark:** The ptolemy module does not (yet) support interval arithmetics, otherwise, this would be a proof that 5\ :sub:`1` is not hyperbolic.
+
+
+Flattening nested structures
+----------------------------
+
+If we want to loose some of the grouping, we can call ``flatten`` on the results. Here the grouping by obstruction class is lost::
+
+    >>> Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical().flatten()
+    [[0.E-19, 1.88267370443418 E-14], [2.02988321281931, -2.02988321281931]]
+
+And now, the grouping by Galois conjugacy is lost as well, resulting in a flat list::
+
+    >>> Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False).volume_numerical().flatten(2)
+    [0.E-19, 1.88267370443418 E-14, 2.02988321281931, -2.02988321281931]
+
+So the result is just a flat list.
+
+**Remark:** We cannot `overflatten`. If we give an even larger argument to flatten, the result will just stay a flat list.
+
+.. _ptolemy-example-missing-auto-completion:
+
+Lack of tab-autocompletion for nested structures
+-------------------------------------------------
+
+Unfortunately, the autocompletion does not list all the desired results when we have a nested structure. For example::
+
+    >>> sols = Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False)
+    >>> sols.
+
+When we now hit the tab key::
+
+    >>> sols.
+    sols.append   sols.extend   sols.index    sols.pop      sols.reverse  
+    sols.count    sols.flatten  sols.insert   sols.remove   sols.sort
+
+... we only get ``list`` methods, but not the desired ``volume_numerical``. One way to discover the available methods is to pick a leaf of the nested structure and hit the tab key::
+
+    >>> sol = sols.flatten(100)[0]
+    >>> sol.
+    sol.N                                   sol.keys
+    sol.check_against_manifold              sol.long_edge
+    ...
+    sol.itervalues                          sol.volume_numerical
+
+The overview diagram might also be helpful.
+
+Converting exact solutions into numerical solutions
+---------------------------------------------------
+
+We can turn exact solutions into numerical solutions by calling ``numerical``::
+
+    >>> sol = Manifold("m003").ptolemy_variety(2, 1).retrieve_solutions()[0]
+    >>> sol
+    PtolemyCoordinates(
+        {'c_0011_0': 1,
+         'c_0011_1': -1,
+         'c_0101_0': Mod(x, x^2 + x + 1),
+	 ...
+         's_3_1': 1},
+        is_numerical = False, ...)
+    >>> sol.numerical()
+    [PtolemyCoordinates(
+         {'c_0011_0': 1,
+          'c_0011_1': -1,
+          'c_0101_0': -0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
+	  ...,
+          's_3_1': 1},
+         is_numerical = True, ...),
+     PtolemyCoordinates(
+         {'c_0011_0': 1,
+          'c_0011_1': -1,
+          'c_0101_0': -0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
+	  ...,
+          's_3_1': 1},
+         is_numerical = True, ...)]
+
+Note that the one exact (algebraic) solution turns into a list of numerical solutions which are Galois conjugates.
+
+**Remark:** This uses the current pari precision. See the :ref:`above example <ptolemy-example-increase-precision>`, in particular, the comment about interval arithmetics.
+
+**Remark:** Calling ``numerical()`` on a numerical solution does nothing.
+
+**Remark:** ``CrossRatios`` also support ``numerical``.
+
+.. _ptolemy-example-numerical-matrix:
+
+Working with exact vs numerical solutions
+-----------------------------------------
+
+Most methods such as ``evaluate_word`` or ``cross_ratios`` work just the same way on an exact solution::
+
+   >>> exact_sol = Manifold("m004").ptolemy_variety(2, 1).retrieve_solutions()[0]
+   >>> exact_sol
+   PtolemyCoordinates(
+       {'c_0011_0': 1,
+        'c_0011_1': -1,
+        'c_0101_0': 1,
+        'c_0101_1': Mod(x, x^2 + x + 1),
+        ...,
+	's_3_1': -1},
+       is_numerical = False, ...)
+   >>> exact_sol.evaluate_word('a')
+   [[Mod(-2*x, x^2 + x + 1), Mod(-x - 1, x^2 + x + 1)],
+    [Mod(x, x^2 + x + 1), Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1)]]
+
+... as they do on a numerical solution::
+
+   >>> numerical_sol = sol.numerical()[0]
+   >>> numerical_sol
+   PtolemyCoordinates(
+       {'c_0011_0': 1,
+        'c_0011_1': -1,
+        'c_0101_0': 1,
+        'c_0101_1': -0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
+	...,
+	's_3_1': -1},
+       is_numerical = False, ...)
+   >>> numerical_sol.evaluate_word('a')
+   [[1.00000000000000 + 1.73205080756888*I,
+     -0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I],
+    [-0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
+     0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I]]
+
+Methods with postfix ``_numerical`` are special: when applied to an exact solution, they implicitly convert it to a list
+of Galois conjugate numerical solutions first. ``volume_numerical`` is an example (because volume is a transcendental function)::
+
+    >>> exact_sol.volume_numerical()
+    [-2.02988321281931, 2.02988321281931]
+    >>> numerical_sol.volume_numerical()
+    -2.02988321281931
+
+.. _ptolemy-example-retrieve-numerical-solutions:
+
+Computing numerical solutions directly
+--------------------------------------
+
+We can also directly compute numerical solutions::
+
+    >>> M = Manifold("m004")
+    >>> sols = M.ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(numerical = True)
+    [[],
+     [[PtolemyCoordinates(
+           {'c_0011_0': 1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
+            'c_0011_1': -1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
+            'c_0101_0': 1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
+            'c_0101_1': -0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
+	    ...,
+            's_3_1': -1},
+           is_numerical = True, ...),
+       PtolemyCoordinates(
+           {'c_0011_0': 1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
+            'c_0011_1': -1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
+            'c_0101_0': 1.00000000000000 + 0.E-19*I,
+            'c_0101_1': -0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
+	    ...,
+            's_3_1': -1},
+           is_numerical = True, ...)]]]    
+
+The structure is as described earlier, a list of lists of lists: first solutions are grouped by obstruction class, then by Galois conjugacy.
+
+The advantage over going through the exact solutions is that it might be much faster
+(because it can avoid computing the number field from the lexicographic Groebner basis, see later). For example, many PSL(3, **C**) examples only work when using ``numerical = True``.
+
+.. _ptolemy-example-cross-ratios:
+
+Computing cross ratios from Ptolemy coordinates
+-----------------------------------------------
+
+Given exact or numerical solutions to the Ptolemy variety, we can also compute the cross ratios/shape parameters::
+
+    >>> sols = Manifold("m004").ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions(verbose=False)
+    >>> zs=sols.cross_ratios()
+    >>> zs
+    [[],
+     [CrossRatios({'z_0000_0': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1),
+                   'z_0000_1': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1),
+                   'zp_0000_0': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1),
+                   'zp_0000_1': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1),
+                   'zpp_0000_0': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1),
+                   'zpp_0000_1': Mod(x + 1, x^2 + x + 1)},
+		  is_numerical = False, ...)]]
+
+**Remark**: The shapes will be given as element in the Ptolemy field with defining polynomial being the second argument to ``Mod(..., ...)``, here, x\ :sup:`2`\ +x+1. The Ptolemy field is a (possibly trivial) extension of the shape field. For *N* =2, the Ptolemy field is the trace field [GGZ2014]_ and an iterated square extension of the shape field which is the invariant trace field for a cusped manifold.
+
+And numerically, so that we can compare to SnapPy's shapes::
+
+    >>> zs.numerical()
+    [[],
+     [[CrossRatios(
+           {'z_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
+            'z_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
+            'zp_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
+            'zp_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
+            'zpp_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I,
+            'zpp_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 - 0.866025403784439*I},
+           is_numerical = True, ...),
+       CrossRatios(
+           {'z_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
+            'z_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
+            'zp_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
+            'zp_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
+            'zpp_0000_0': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I,
+            'zpp_0000_1': 0.500000000000000 + 0.866025403784439*I},
+           is_numerical = True, ...)]]]
+    >>> Manifold("m004").tetrahedra_shapes('rect')
+    [0.5000000000 + 0.8660254038*I, 0.5000000000 + 0.8660254038*I]
+
+The result is of type ``CrossRatios`` and assigns z as well as z'=1/(1-z) and z''=1-1/z a value.
+
+.. _ptolemy-non-zero-dim-comp:
+
+The dimension of a component
+----------------------------
+
+A Ptolemy variety might have positively dimensional components (note that this might or might not be a positively dimensional family of representations, see :ref:`here <ptolemy-generically-decorated>`). For example, the Ptolemy variety for ``m371`` and the trivial obstruction class has a 1-dimensional component. This is indicated by::
+
+    >>> M.ptolemy_variety(2).retrieve_solutions()
+    [NonZeroDimensionalComponent(dimension = 1)]
+
+Or::
+
+    >>> M=Manifold("m371")
+    >>> M.ptolemy_variety(2).retrieve_solutions()
+    [[ PtolemyCoordinates(
+           {'c_0011_0': 1,
+            'c_0011_1': -1,
+            'c_0011_2': -1,
+            'c_0011_3': Mod(-x - 1, x^2 + x + 2),
+	    ...,
+            's_3_4': 1},
+           is_numerical = False, ...) 
+       (witnesses for NonZeroDimensionalComponent(dimension = 1, free_variables = ['c_0110_2'])) ]]
+
+The latter actually also provides a sample point (:ref:`witness <ptolemy-example-find-witness>` which we will use :ref:`later <ptolemy-example-non-zero-dim-rep>` to determine whether this corresponds to a 1-dimensional family of representations or not) on the 1-dimensional component. A ``NonZeroDimensionalComponent`` as well as ``PtolemyCoordinates`` (that correspond to 0-dimensional components of the Ptolemy variety)) has a ``dimension`` attribute, so we can do::
+ 
+    >>> M=Manifold("m371")
+    >>> sols = M.ptolemy_variety(2,'all').retrieve_solutions()
+    >>> sols.dimension
+    [[1], [], [0], []]
+
+This means that the Ptolemy variety for the trivial obstruction class has a 1-dimensional component and that the Ptolemy variety of one of the other obstruction classes a 0-dimensional component.
+
+A ``NonZeroDimensionalComponent`` is actually again a list whose elements will be witness points if witnesses have been computed for this Ptolemy variety.
+
+**Warning:** This implies that if we ``flatten`` too much, the reported dimension becomes 0 which is the dimension of the witness point instead of 1::
+
+    >>> sols.flatten()
+    [1, 0]
+    
+Too much ``flatten``::
+    
+    >>> sols.flatten()
+    [0, 0]
+
+The advantage is that we can still call methods such as ``volume_numerical`` and actually see the volume of a witness point (it is known that the volume stays constant on a component of boundary-unipotent representations, so one witness point can tell us the volume of all representation in that component)::
+
+    >>> sols.volume_numerical()
+    [[[ [0.E-38, 0.E-38] (witnesses for NonZeroDimensionalComponent(dimension = 1, free_variables = ['c_0110_2'])) ]],
+     [],
+     [[4.75170196551790,
+       -4.75170196551790,
+       4.75170196551790,
+       -4.75170196551790,
+       1.17563301006556,
+       -1.17563301006556,
+       1.17563301006556,
+       -1.17563301006556]],
+     []]