MAS, the Modula-2 Algebra System, Version 1.00 ============================================== 27th October 1996 A new version of MAS, the Modula-2 Algebra System is now available from ftp://alice.fmi.uni-passau.de/pub/ComputerAlgebraSystems/mas or http://alice.fmi.uni-passau.de/mas.html as source code and executables for o HP 9000, running HP-UX, o IBM RS/6000, running AIX, o Intel PC, running Linux, o Intel PC, running OS/2, o Intel station, running Nextstep, o NeXTstation, running Nextstep and o Sun Sparc, running SunOS. MAS (Modula-2 Algebra System) is an experimental computer algebra system, developed at the University of Passau. MAS combines imperative programming facilities with algebraic specification capabilities for design and study of algebraic algorithms. It contains a large library of implemented Groebner basis algorithms for nearly all algebraic structures where such methods exist. MAS further includes algorithms for real quantifier elimination, parametric real root counting, and for computing in (noncommutative) polynomial rings. The last released version of MAS was version 0.7. From version 0.7 to version 1.0 the following major changes have been made: Mathematical library improvements --------------------------------- - Groebner bases An optimized Groebner base package, which includes the ``sugar''-method and a better exploitation of Buchberger's second criterion has been implemented. - Factorized Groebner Bases A package to compute factorized Groebner bases has been added. - Comprehensive Groebner Bases The CGB package for computing comprehensive Groebner bases has been extended. The occuring conditions can be exploited (by detecting implications and inconsistencies) to avoid unnecessary cases and factorized comprehensive Groebner bases can be computed. - Involutive Bases A package for computing involutive bases and factorized involutive has been added. - Invariant Polynomials A package for reduction of invariant polynomials has been included. - Counting Real Roots A package for counting real roots has been implemented. - Logic Formulae A package for representation of logic formulae was included. It makes methods for formula simplification available on a new data structure for logic formulae. - Linear Algebra The linear algebra package of MAS has been improved. System Improvements ------------------- - MAS language The MAS language now accepts small letter key words. Braces {} can be used to denote list expressions. - Makefiles and GNU autoconf The installation of MAS has been simplified by using the GNU autoconf system and a new Makefile. done by the configure script. - GNU Readline and History Library The terminal input and output interface has been modified to make use of the freely available GNU readline and history libraries. - Kpathsearch Library The kpathsea library by K. Berry is now used by MAS. - Shell command line options GNU getopt is now used as parser for this options and new command line options have been added to MAS. - Interrupt handling An interrupt handler has been added to MAS which can react on the \verb/USR1/ signal by printing the actual state of computation. - Garbage collection The garbage collector has been modified to automatically detect the necessary information on stack structure at runtime (to allow cross-compiling). It is no longer necessary to give values for "stack-offset" before compiling MAS. Furthermore the garbage collector now works on machines with reverse stack growth like those from HP. - Compiler optimizations MAS has now been modified to allow use of the optimization possibilities of gcc. - New Data Structure Concept This concept has been used in the DIPAGB package, the CGB package and to some extent in the MASIB, MASLOG and DIPDCGB packages. - Generic Functions Generic functions on polynomial system over ``arbitrary domains'' have been designed and implemented. - Selection of Options A concept for implementing run time options has been introduced. Options (e.g. how much intermediate output should be produced, which term order should be used, which strategy should be followed) can be set from the interpreter by special functions. You can get more information about MAS from: http://alice.fmi.uni-passau.de/mas.html Send bug-reports, questions, remarks to: mailto:mas@alice.fmi.uni-passau.de Heinz Kredel Michael Pesch Universitaet Mannheim Universitaet Passau D-68131 Mannheim D-94030 Passau Germany Germany kredel@rz.uni-mannheim.de pesch@alice.fmi.uni-passau.de -EOF-