[Axiom-mail] Axiom and OpenMath/MathMl

[Bill Page]

Hello,

While toiling with details of cr/lf in Windows versus
Linux, I have continued to ponder the longer term issue of
an appropriate graphical mathematical notation for open
source Axiom. Given the enormous amount of effort that
is currently devoted to a modern replacement for LaTex
in the form of MathML and OpenMath and in spite of the
still overwhelmingly prevalent use of LaTex, I think it
would be prudent to consider incorporating such a new
approach into Axiom soon after the availability of simle
character interface. It seems that work in this direction
is already quite advanced. See for example the paper by
Stephane Dalmas, Marc Gaetano and Stephen Watt:

  http://www.orcca.on.ca/~watt/papers/i97omath.pdf

An OpenMath 1.0 Implementation

Abstract

The first official version of the OpenMath specification was
released in December. This paper presents the first imple-
mentation of this standard, in the form of a C library. To
ensure a faithful realization, a second, independent imple-
mentation with the same api was built using Aldor (A#)...

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See more about OpenMath at

  http://www.openmath.org/cocoon/openmath/index.html

Note in particular:

  http://www.openmath.org/cocoon/openmath/software/index.html

"A phrasebook for AXIOM 2.3 <http://www.nag.co.uk/>was
shipped with the system"

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And here is an excellent introduction to both OpenMath
and MathML by O. Caprotti and D. Carlisle 

  http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds6-2/openmath.html

OpenMath and MathML:
Semantic Mark Up for Mathematics 

Abstract

Unambiguous representation of mathematics is crucial for
communications among humans or among computer systems.
OpenMath is a standard aimed at supporting a semantically
rich interchange of mathematics among varied computational
software tools such as computer algebra systems, theorem
provers, and tools for visualizing or editing mathematical
text. MathML is a W3C Recommendation for the encoding of
mathematics `on the web' which also includes mechanisms for
encoding mathematical semantics. We introduce each of these
two languages and describe their relationships. 

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Finally, to ask a direct question: I was wondering what
level of support/encouragement for doing something with
open source Axiom and OpenMath among the potential
Axiom volunteer developers? I think Tim Daly has already
(more or less) cast his vote in favor of doing the text
interface first (of course) and then a LaTex-oriented
interface for graphical output along the lines of the
old NAG techexplorer GUI. Right Tim? What do other people
here think?

Regards,
Bill Page.