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This volume uses several computer algebra systems to ``activate" the papers, but
principally uses Maple. There are several reasons for this, but the main one
is that the CECM is a ``Maple shop".
Most of us have used Maple for many
years, and the Maple expertise locally available is by any standard
considerable, with Michael Monagan
(one of the Maple designers), Greg Fee, Simon Plouffe,
and Rob Corless
present and helping. Simon Fraser University
has had Maple in its mathematics courses for many
years, so there was a considerable level of background Maple ability in
the grad students, post-docs, and faculty associated with the project
as well.
That said, the Organic Mathematics Project is not limited to Maple, using Pari,
GAP, Mathematica, and AXIOM, as well. Simon Plouffe has the most expertise
with Pari of the people at the CECM, but one of our invited authors (Henri
Cohen) is one of the principal designers of Pari.
Stan Wagon is known for
his Mathematica expertise, and Stan Devitt is a prime mover at Waterloo
Maple Inc.
The main use of computer algebra in these papers is to enliven the examples.
Many of the papers discuss algorithms, and it is reasonable to present
the reader with an already-implemented version of the algorithm, both
so that the reader may test the claims of the paper and so that the
algorithm/code can be used by the reader in their own work.
Dave Fayegh
had written a system that allows people to use Maple on our server
from a remote site while reading one or more of these papers. This
Maple Form Interface, though in its infancy, has proved already to be a
valuable tool for mathematical exposition. If you try out some of the
examples, we are sure you will agree. We note that there are similar
form interfaces for other computer algebra systems, notably
Mathematica, and that this is an idea whose time has come. We believe
that our Maple Form Interface is currently the best available, and we also
believe that it is the most highly-developed from the point of view of
serious use. The examples and algorithms displayed in the Maple
annotation system (which uses the form interface) have been carefully
chosen to make a difference in the understanding of the reader, not
just in an attempt to impress the onlookers. (It is ironic that many
of the least flashy parts of the /proceedings were the most difficult
to provide.)
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