Re: [fricas-devel] Re: Project website

> I mentioned the demise of Axiom on this list as it seemed like some might
> find it an interesting event if only for historical reasons.
> Tim

It is absolutely that. But one possibility for software is the chance (not 
necessarily huge, but still there) of a Phoenix Event where a new piece of 
work emerges from what may have looked like mere charred remains of the 
previous one. If a small group from a younger generation started from what 
you have now they might have different priorities from yours, but one 
might hope that the literate style you have got things on might make it 
easier for them to get going than would otherwise be the case.
A "30 year horizon" surely involves a project being reinvented and 
reforged anew and in legend the new players are typically not just ones 
who have been easy epprentices of the old master!

So having a reasonably definitive "here lies" archive with at least 
workable build scripts and pointers to the easier tasks that a 
hypothetical keen new generation could cut their teel on would be good.

I mostly look after Reduce these days. You have described the sort of 
stuff I do in terms of "product" but I do not think that way - I think in 
terms of "service" so that those whose research (or develpment!) is in 
physics or engineering etc can use Reduce as a tool. So I get a 
research-buzz second hand if you like. But as regards "dead" projects I 
note that Albert Rich had been working on a pretty individual project 
where the concept was to see how much of computer algebra could be 
expressed as rewrite rules (rather than in imperative style). You do not 
need agree that this was going to succeed - just that he spent much time 
on it. He died a year ago. There is a sensible snapshot of his "RUBI" 
indefinite integration stuff and it is a snapshot not a perfact version 
since he expired while still working! But I (among others) have been 
having a go at reviving it in ways that are not at all all in the 
direction he was working. RUBI is a lot smaller than Axiom but maybe 
somebody will be able to pluck a component from Axiom for good use 
elsewhere. And again if they do it will be a really interesting test of 
the literate philosophy to see how that helps them!

Regards

Arthur (from ages ago when Axiom was shipped by NAG)