One more time....I misunderstood the guidance about values as inputs for

the math node.  Now it functions with two values as inputs (no image 
neccissary).  Kinda back where it started ;)

source/blender/nodes/intern/CMP_nodes/CMP_math.c

@@ -143,9 +143,14 @@ static void node_composit_exec_math(void *data, bNode *node, bNodeStack **in, bN
 
 	/* check for inputs and outputs for early out*/
 	if(in[0]->hasinput==0 || in[1]->hasinput==0) return;
-	if(in[0]->data==NULL && in[1]->data==NULL) return;
 	if(out[0]->hasoutput==0) return;
 
+	/* no image-color operation */
+	if(in[0]->data==NULL && in[1]->data==NULL) {
+		do_math(node, out[0]->vec, in[0]->vec, in[1]->vec);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	/*create output based on first input */
 	if(cbuf) {
 		stackbuf=alloc_compbuf(cbuf->x, cbuf->y, CB_VAL, 1);