Re: Math Lib. for Ada? Ada for X11R6?

[mbk@inls1.ucsd.edu (Matt Kennel)]

David Weller (dweller@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM) wrote:
: In article <3fbtk3$50o@gnat.cs.nyu.edu>, Robert Dewar <dewar@cs.nyu.edu> wrote:
: >Will there ever be a freeware version of the math library
: >there is, see GNAT!
: >

: I think the original poster's question was aimed at math libraries
: that go beyond elementary functions and complex number support.

If you have column-major matrices, then writing glue for many standard
matrix routines (in fortran) should be easy.

For instance, make a matrix package that uses BLAS for computation,
and a slightly fancier matrix packages that uses BLAS and LAPACK.

BLAS and LAPACK have abtruse routine names and irritating call
protocols that could be fixed by a real language with little problem.
{That's what I'm doing for Sather.}

It gets much harder when you have to deal with Fortran packages that take
fortran routines as callbacks, e.g. ODE integrators, function minimizers, or
PDE solvers, that also tend to use Jurassic forms of data storage and
manipulation.

There are many major Fortran packages like this that people use.  

These are the tough ones to deal with.

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--
-Matt Kennel  		mbk@inls1.ucsd.edu
-Institute for Nonlinear Science, University of California, San Diego
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