Re: maxima as octave CAS

[Doug Stewart]

Nicolas Pettiaux wrote:
> Maple is the CAS (computer algebra software) of Matlab.
>
> How difficult would it be to have maxima more closely linked with
> octave in a similar way ?
>
> I know that there is the SAGE project that is very interesting, but
> this is yet another language of its own, aka python, on top of the
> octave and maxima ones.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nicolas
>
>   

I did some work on this and it is not hard to run Maxima from Octave.
The problem is that you now have 2 different languages to learn. Octave 
and Maxima.

Or we would have to write a converter between the two systems. ie. Have 
a complete symbolic syntax  addition to octave, and then a converter 
that runs behind the scene that would change to Maxima syntax. This 
wouldn't be too hard for integration and derivatives  and some series. 
But Maxima is huge and we would have to decide how much to implement.

If we don't go with the converter system and we make everyone learn 
Maxima then I do not see much advantage to join them together. I now use 
mainly Octave, and when I have to I fire up Maxima or Axium and then 
bring the results back to Octave.

I found that there is big learning curve for Maxima

Just my 2 C worth.

Doug