kevin@math.lsa.umich.edu (Kevin Coombes) (03/30/90)
This note is to annouce the availability via anonymous ftp of a linrary of C functions to do multiple precision arithmetic. the package is called "Arithmetic in Global Fields" and is available at stag.math.lsa.umich.edu in the file pub/kevin/arith.tar.Z. The basic virtue of this package is that it provides a uniform interface for doing computations with either arbitrarily long integers or with polynomials of arbitrary degree over finite fields. It has a couple of minor drawbacks, some of which are documented and others of which I will no doubt hear. I am certain that it could be made faster, and input of integers is slightly awkward. Other than that, the chief defect in some people's eyes will be the fact that this program is copyrighted under the terms of the GNU Public License. That is, it is FREE, it comes with no warranty, but anyone who redistributes it is required to make the source code available, and any packages which incorporate it come under the same license provisions. I happen to think that's a good idea, which is why I am making this package publicly available. Kevin R. Coombes <kevin@math.lsa.umich.edu