YACAS & Euler

'YACAS' stands for 'Yet Another Computer Algebra System'. It is an easy to use, general purpose Computer Algebra System, a program for symbolic manipulation of mathematical expressions. YACAS uses its own programming language designed for symbolic as well as arbitrary precision numerical computations. The system has a library of scripts that implement many of the symbolic algebra operations; new algorithms can be easily added to the library. YACAS comes with extensive documentation (320+ pages) covering the scripting language, the functionality that is already implemented in the system. Visit YACAS site for details and download.

Euler (current version 2.3) is a powerful numerical laboratory with a programming language. The system can handle real, complex and interval numbers, vectors and matrices. It can produce 2D/3D plots. Euler comes with Yacas. So one can combine symbolic and fast numeric programming. Here is the site to download EULER .

All versions are freeware and open source under the GNU general license. Some people call Euler another MatLab clone like Octave. That is not entirely true but EULER is no doubt similar to Matlab.

Numerical Libraries from Visual Numerics

Last week Visual Numerics, Inc., the Houston, Texas based producer of numerical analysis and visualization software, announced the availability of the IMSL C# Numerical Library version 4.0 and JMSL Numerical Library for Java™ Applications version 4.0.

The IMSL C# Numerical Library is written in 100% Visual C# .NET and is designed to make programming easier and faster. The Library also contains powerful algorithms that are the backbone of common analytics such as profit maximization, product design optimization, supply chain efficiency optimization, and demand forecasting. With the use of the IMSL C# Numerical Library, applications built on the Microsoft .NET Framework can provide more powerful business analytics than ever before.

The JMSL Library is the broadest collection of mathematical, statistical, financial, data mining and charting classes available in 100% Java. It combines integrated charting capabilities with the mathematical and statistical functionality of IMSL™ Numerical Library algorithms. The JMSL Library is platform independent, which makes it easy to embed in existing, standalone or networked applications.

Visual Numerics now offers up to 100 fully-tested classes in version 4.0 of the IMSL C# and JMSL Numerical Libraries. The combination of their features is optimal for capital market companies who need to build advanced applications capable of performing portfolio optimization, trading systems analysis and risk modeling on a wide variety of computing platforms. This will help quantitative engineers working in financial services industry to build up applications to solve real world problems and take their product to the market with a faster speed.

"Geometry Expressions"

A new Geometry software has been released in May: "Geometry Expressions" which claims to be the world's first Interactive Symbolic Geometry System.

Using it one can define geometric figures by either Symbolic Constraints or numeric locations. Drawing can be generated via parametric, symbolic animation and measurements on drawing can be either presented numerically or expressed symbolically as mathematical equations.

All examples in online demonstrations looked very neat (click here). No doubt it would be a handy tool for many of us who were waiting for such a thing to appear for a long time. Once a student gets accustomed to the use of its toolbar and gains familiarity with its symbols, it would be hard to do geometry without this.

It's not a free package but it offers a no-cost trial. Visit homepage of Geometry Expressions to get a copy.