lseward@randvax.UUCP (Larry Seward) (02/05/85)
REDUCE
NEWSLETTER
______________________________________________________________________________
Number 9 December 1984
______________________________________________________________________________
_E_d_i_t_o_r'_s _F_o_r_e_w_o_r_d
This is the first issue of the REDUCE Newsletter to appear since May 1983.
The gap between issues is obviously too long, so we plan to produce the
newsletter on a more frequent schedule from now on, possibly at six-month in-
tervals or whenever we have something important to say about REDUCE, such as
the new versions of the system described in this issue. Please feel free to
send items for inclusion if you think they are of interest to the REDUCE com-
munity. However, we no longer include articles describing the use of REDUCE.
Please send such items to the SIGSAM Bulletin, Computer Physics Communica-
tions, Journal of Computational Physics, or the new Journal of Symbolic Compu-
tation described later in this issue.
_C_u_r_r_e_n_t _S_t_a_t_u_s _o_f _R_E_D_U_C_E _R_e_l_e_a_s_e_s
The most recent update to REDUCE, Version 3.1, was released in April 1984, and
a memorandum announcing this sent to all registered system holders shortly
after that. This release corrected over seventy errors and problems identi-
fied in Version 3.0, and also included some modest enhancements to a number of
facilities, such as the simplifier and pattern matcher. In addition, support
for the CMS and MTS operating systems in the IBM version was considerably im-
proved, including the availability of a link to the CMS editor in the former
version. Many of the problems reported, and in fact all of the enhancements
to the CMS and MTS versions, came to us from the user community. We are ex-
tremely grateful for this support. Although it is not always possible to ack-
nowledge every report or suggestion individually, they are all considered. In
those cases where for one reason or another we cannot solve a problem raised
by a user, we note that fact in a log of unsolved problems which we distribute
with each release. (Version 3.1 was the first to include such a log.)
REDUCE for the VAX/VMS operating system was also released in September 1984,
bringing to four the number of implementations of Version 3.1 available from
The Rand Corporation. (In addition to the IBM version, we also distribute a
version for the DECsystem 10 and 20, and one for the DEC VAX/11 series running
Berkeley UNIX.)
_N_e_w _R_e_l_e_a_s_e_s _o_f _R_E_D_U_C_E _f_r_o_m _o_t_h_e_r _S_i_t_e_s
Releases of REDUCE for two additional computing systems which have been com-
pleted at other sites are now available. In addition to these, a number of im-
plementations for microcomputer-based workstations are beginning to appear. In
the next issue of this newsletter we shall summarize all such offerings that
are current at that time.
REDUCE Newsletter No. 9 Page 2
1. Data General Eclipse Version. This version, designed for the Data
General Eclipse MV series machines running the AOS/VS operating sys-
tem, has been developed by staff members of the Research Institute for
Mathematical Sciences (RIMS) at Kyoto University in Japan, with the
cooperation of the Nippon Data General Corporation. The implementa-
tion was completed in March 1984, and has been in use by mathemati-
cians and physicists at RIMS since that time. This version runs in KCL
(Kyoto Common Lisp), which must also be obtained. For further de-
tails, contact:
Dr. Sin Hitotumatu
Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences
Kyoto University
Kyoto, 606, Japan
Telephone: (075) 751-2111 Ext. 7226
Telex: 05422020 RIMS J
2. Franz Lisp Version. This implementation, designed to run with the
version of Franz Lisp distributed with the Berkeley 4.2 UNIX distribu-
tion for the VAX/11 series, was developed at the Tektronix Computer
Research Laboratory in Beaverton, Oregon. This is an experimental
version only, not a supported Tektronix product. The distribution
tape includes the standard REDUCE sources and documentation, plus the
Franz Lisp equivalent source code. The cost of the distribution tape
is $300. For further details, please contact:
Dr. S. Kamal Abdali
Symbolic Computation Program
Computer Research Lab
Tektronix, Inc.
P.O. Box 500 - MS 50/662
Beaverton, OR 97077
_R_E_D_U_C_E _U_s_e_r_s' _M_e_e_t_i_n_g _t_o _b_e _H_e_l_d
A meeting of REDUCE Users will be held as part of EUROCAL '85, the European
Conference on Computer Algebra to be held in Linz, Austria, from April 13,
1985. This informal meeting will begin with a presentation of the current
plans for REDUCE, followed by an open discussion among participants. Further
information about EUROCAL '85 can be obtained from the program chairman:
Professor Bruno Buchberger
Institute for Mathematics
University of Linz
A 4040 Linz, Austria
Telephone: (0732) 232381 Ext. 9219
Telex: 22323 uni li a
_T_u_t_o_r_i_a_l _M_a_t_e_r_i_a_l _o_n _t_h_e _U_s_e _o_f _R_E_D_U_C_E
One of the problems facing the REDUCE user is the lack of tutorial material
relating to the use of REDUCE. Recently however, a text has appeared which
would be of interest to any serious user. Unfortunately for many of us, the
REDUCE Newsletter No. 9 Page 3
book is in Japanese, although there is a possibility that it will eventually
be translated into English. The title, roughly translated, is REDUCE Program-
ming Examples - No. 1". For those of you who can read Japanese, or are con-
tent with just looking at the programming examples, which of course use Roman
letters, the person to contact is:
Dr. Y. Kanada
Computer Center, University of Tokyo
Bunkyo-ku Yayoi, 21116
Tokyo, 113 Japan
_N_e_w _J_o_u_r_n_a_l _o_n _S_y_m_b_o_l_i_c _C_o_m_p_u_t_a_t_i_o_n _L_a_u_n_c_h_e_d
A new journal called The Journal of Symbolic Computation" has commenced publi-
cation. The journal publishes original articles on all aspects of the algo-
rithmic treatment of symbolic objects (e.g., terms, formulas, programs and
general algebraic and geometrical objects). The emphasis will be on mathemat-
ical foundations, and the correctness and complexity of new sequential and
parallel algorithms for symbolic computation. However, the description of
working software systems for symbolic computation, new design principles for
symbolic software systems and applications of such systems for advanced prob-
lem solving are also within the scope of the journal. For further information
about the journal and preparation of manuscripts, consult the publishers:
Academic Press Inc.
A Subsidiary of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers
2428 Oval Road
London NW1 7DX, England
Telephone (01) 267-4466
_C_o_m_m_u_n_i_c_a_t_i_o_n _v_i_a _C_o_m_p_u_t_e_r _N_e_t_w_o_r_k_s
An increasing number of REDUCE users have reported that they now have network
access. In particular, the EARN and BITNET networks have recently given many
users at academic sites convenient mail access to most of the other relevant
networks. We have therefore included a line on the address form on the last
page of this newsletter to enable you to provide us with your network address.
We shall use this to send you on-line copies of the REDUCE Newsletter and oth-
er information about REDUCE.
As a further means of increasing communication among those with network ac-
cess, an electronic news group has been formed for discussing issues related
to symbolic algebra. Information is exchanged via electronic mail over net-
works such as ARPANET, BITNET, CSNET and USENET. The group will cover algo-
rithms, applications and general news related to symbolic algebra. The dis-
cussion is not restricted to REDUCE; articles relating to other algebra sys-
tems such as MACSYMA and MAPLE have also appeared.
For Unix USENET sites the group is directly accessible through the standard
news commands under the group name net.math.symbolic. Users of other networks
who would like to receive news items from this group should send a message to
reduce@rand-unix.arpa. Submissions for the newsgroup from such sites can also
be sent to the same address. The reduce mailbox can also be used for asking
REDUCE Newsletter No. 9 Page 4
questions about REDUCE.
_P_l_e_a_s_e _D_o_n'_t _F_o_r_g_e_t _t_o _R_e_g_i_s_t_e_r
A registration form is included in the installation guide for each of the ver-
sions of REDUCE we distribute. This confirms that you have successfully in-
stalled the system, and also gives us valuable information about the perfor-
mance of REDUCE on various computing systems. In order to encourage sites to
register, we have included the following statement in all documents distribut-
ed with Version 3.1:
Copyright (c) 1984 The Rand Corporation. All rights reserved.
Registered system holders may reproduce all or any part of this
publication for internal purposes, provided that the source of the
material is clearly acknowledged, and the copyright notice is
retained.
In return for such registration, we try to provide registered sites with in-
formation on updates to their systems as soon as they become available, rather
than making them wait until a new issue of this newsletter is produced.
_W_e _a_r_e _U_p_d_a_t_i_n_g _O_u_r _M_a_i_l_i_n_g _L_i_s_t!
Our mailing list has now grown to over 1000 entries, and new requests keep
coming in day by day. In order for us to make sure that you still want to re-
ceive this newsletter, please return the last page of this issue, with the
mailing label on the back. A place is provided for corrections to your mail-
ing address, or the inclusion of your telephone number and network address.
We have also included a number of other questions for which answers are op-
tional. In particular, we would like to know if you would be interested in at-
tending a REDUCE Users' Conference, similar in style to the successful MACSYMA
Users' Conferences that have been held from time to time. The conference
would have tutorial sessions describing various aspects of the use of REDUCE,
and sessions describing applications of the system. We are also interested in
knowing the research area in which you work. This information enables us to
concentrate on those application areas with the widest appeal.
_________________
The REDUCE Newsletter is published on an occasional basis as a service to the
REDUCE user community. Contributions or inquiries should be addressed to the
Editor, Anthony C. Hearn, The Rand Corporation, 1700 Main Street, P.O. Box
2138, Santa Monica, CA 90406-2138, telephone (213) 393-0411.
_R_E_D_U_C_E _M_a_i_l_i_n_g _L_i_s_t _I_n_f_o_r_m_a_t_i_o_n _F_o_r_m
__ Please leave my name on the REDUCE Mailing List
__ Please change my entry to read as follows:
Name ____________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________
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Telephone ( ) ________________________ Extension_____________
City/Area
code
Network Address ___________________________________________________
(ARPANET, BITNET, CSNET, EARN, Mailnet, uucp, etc.)
__ Please send me the latest REDUCE Information Form
__ I would be interested in attending a REDUCE Users' Conference
My research interests are in the field(s) of _______________
____________________________________________________________
Please mail this completed form to:
Dr. Anthony C. Hearn
The Rand Corporation
1700 Main Street
P.O. Box 2138
Santa Monica, CA 90406-2138