🚀 go-pugleaf

neuhaus@vier.informatik.uni-kl.de (Stephan Neuhaus (HiWi Mattern)) writes:

>rocek@dirac.physics.sunsyb.edu (Martin Rocek) writes:

>>Is there anyone at FSF who is interested in writing a free replacement

There is! According to GNU's Bulletin, vol. 1 no. 12 page 14:

* JACKAL

Aubrey Jaffer is preparing a new release of JACAL, a symbolic mathematics
system for the simplification and manipulation of equations and single and
multiple valued algebraic expressions constructed of numbers, variables,
radicals, radical and algebraic functions, differential and finite differential
operators and holonomic functions.  In addition, vectors and matrices of the
above objects are included.

JACAL runs under either Common Lisp or Scheme.  A version of Scheme (IEEE P1178
and Rev4 compliant) written in C comes with JACKAL.  It runs under VMS, MS-DOS,
Unix, and similar systems. Pre-release source is available for anonymous ftp
from altdorf.ai.mit.edu under `archive/scm' in `jacal0-4.tar.Z' and
`scm3c6.tar.Z'.

The FSF is not distributing this on tape yet.  To receive an IBM PC floppy disk
with the source and executable files send $70.00 to AUbrey Jaffer, 84
Pleasant St.,  Wakefield MA 01880 USA.

[...]

>    * There is no linear speedup with the amount of people involved.

I don't think so.  A good symbolic math system consists of many independent
packages for the various fields in mathematics.  These could be easy written by
different people.

[...]

>And so on.  Before you tackle a problem as large as this, you should
>think twice!  Nevertheless, I'd appreciate seeing Wolfram's monopoly
>broken.  (As I said above, I am willing to contribute.)  This thread is
>interesting.  I hope that lots of people will discuss this, too.

Me too!

I think we should not underestimate the benefit of having the source.  I'm much
more optimistic with this project.  I intend to offer my help to this project
too.

--
Peer Stritzinger
Phone: +(49)8141-90613
Internet: stritzi@physik.tu-muenchen.de