New MACSYMA for Genera 7.2

[Seddigh@vermithrax.sch.symbolics.com, slug-liaison@vermithrax.sch.symbolics.com]

This news hot off the press from the MACSYMA group at Symbolics:

    We are pleased to announce that the new version of MACSYMA for Genera 7.2
    will be available domestically in September, and to international in
    October. It has many exciting new features.

    The new mathematical capabilities in this release exceeds those in all previous
    updates of Lisp machine MACSYMA combined.
   
    1Enquiries regarding this product can be directed to your Symbolics sales representative.

0    (The document below prints fine, even though it looks funny in email.)
    
								       August 1988
	    2NEW FEATURES IN COMMON LISP MACSYMA FOR SYMBOLICS 36000 2USERS


0    Release 414 of MACSYMA3(R)0 for Symbolics Lisp machines is scheduled to be available
    in September, 1988.  The following enhancements are planned for the release.
    Some of these are old packages which have not been delivered in recent releases,
    some are improvements to existing packages, and some are entirely new.  While we
    expect all of these enhancements to be included in the product, we will not
    hold up the release if some of them are not ready on schedule.

     4       following features:
       - Scrolling over input and output history.
       - Mouse selection of input and output expressions.
       - Mouse-and-menu-driven processing of selected subexpressions.
       - Mouse-driven incremental reveal capability.

            - 1MAT_EXP0: computes exponentials of matrices.
       - 1JORDAN_FORM0: computes Jordan forms of matrices.
       - 1MOORE_PENROSE_INV0: computes the Moore-Penrose generalized matrix inverse.
       - 1LSQ_LINSOLVE0: Finds the least-square solution to overconstrained systems
	 of linear equations.
       - SPECFUN file: Over a dozen families of special functions have been
	 added. Users can evaluate the functions symbolically and numerically,
	 and can apply some of the more important derivative rules and recurrence
	 relations.
       - Several minor matrix functions have been implemented and/or documented,
	 including 1WRONSKIAN0, 1TOEPLITZ0, and1 VANDERMONDE0.

     0       - A new partial differentiation package for unknown functions allows MACSYMA
	 to handle partial differentiation correctly. Also 1DIFF_CANONICALIZE0,
	 a new option variable, allows the user to decide whether mixed partial
	 derivatives are assumed to be commutative.
       - Ordinary Differential Equations (O.D.E.'s):
	 . 1ODEFI0 finds first integrals of first order O.D.E.'s, using the Prelle-
	   Singer algorithm.
	 . 1TRANSFER_MATRIX0 finds the transfer function matrix for a linear system of
	   state control equations of the form Y' = A.Y + B.U , Z = C.Y + D.U .
	 . 1ODE0, the main solution package for O.D.E.'s, has been made more reliable.
       - 1INTEQN0: The integral equation package has been repaired and extended.
       - Tensor analysis:
	 . 1CTENSOR0, the component tensor package, has been extended to include
	   frame fields, affine torsion and conformal nonmetricity.
	 . 1CARTAN0, a package for performing exterior calculus, is repaired.

            - Taylor methods:
	 . 1TAYLOR_ODE0: finds Taylor series solutions of systems of simultaneous
	   ordinary differential equations which satisfy Lipshitz conditions.
	   Useful for studying local behavior of complicated systems of O.D.E.'s.
       - Perturbation  methods for O.D.E.'s:
	 . 1LINDSTEDT0: Finds periodic series solutions for perturbed oscillator
	   equations using Lindstedt's method.
	 . 1AVERAGE_PERIODIC_ODE0: Implements the method of averaging for periodic
	   O.D.E.'s.  This is a popular method for finding qualitative information
	   about families of solutions of an ordinary differential equation.
       - The Poisson series package now allows users to specify the Poisson variables.
    
    New Features in Common Lisp MACSYMA for Symbolics 3600 Users	   August 1988


            - 1DIFFERENCE_PDE0 generates finite difference equations from partial
	 differential equations, using central, forward and backward difference
	 methods, and explicit and implicit Euler methods for the time.
       - 1RUNGE_KUTTA0 integrates systems of O.D.E.'s numerically.
       - Newton-Cotes numerical integration.
       - 1BISECT0: Interpolates numerical roots of equations.
       - 1LSQ0: Least squares polynomial fit to scattered data has been extended to
	 mulitvariate problems; it also accepts some symbolic data.
       - 1SFLOAT, DFLOAT0: Control of single and double precision floating point
	 conversions has been improved.

            - 1GENTRAN0, a very powerful Fortran generator, has been installed.  It can
	 translate mathematical expressions, iteration statements, if-then
	 statements, data type declaration information and much more into Fortran,
	 `C' or Ratfor.  In its `template mode', GENTRAN enables users to write
	 "mixed Fortran-MACSYMA code".
       -1 FORTRAN_CALL0 allows users to execute Fortran programs from within the
	 MACSYMA environment.
       - 1EISPACK_CALL0 allows users to access the Eispack library of matrix routines
	 from their MACSYMA environments in a friendly manner.  This capability is
	 built on top of the4 1FORTRAN_CALL0 capability.

     0       - 1SPLOT3D0 enables users to send a three-dimensional plot from MACSYMA to
	 S-GEOMETRY3(R)0, which is one of Symbolics' powerful graphics software
	 packages.  Among its many capabilities is interactive rotation, translation
	 and zoom; simultaneous display of multiple surfaces with hidden line
	 removal; and selective marking and shading of surfaces.

            - On-line documentation: Dozens of new usage and demonstration files are
	 available for the old and new features in MACSYMA.
       - Reference Manual: In the fall of 1988 we will deliver version 13 of the
	 MACSYMA Reference Manual, which is reorganized, includes all the new
	 features (and some old ones for the first time), and is much easier to use.
       - Quick Reference Card: This new document helps beginners and intermittent
	 users to do a lot with one cardfull of selected examples.
       - User's Guide: In July 1987 we made available the MACSYMA User's Guide,
	 which is much more accessible than the MACSYMA Reference Manual.

            MACSYMA over the past two years.  Many minor improvements have been made.

    Some other enhancements which are under development may also be included in
    this release of MACSYMA.
3     --------------------
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     (C) Copyright 1988 Symbolics, Inc. All rights reserved.