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Symbolica Computer Algebra System

symbolica.io

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Re: Symbolica Computer Algebra System

#101

Post by lav42 »

anthk wrote: post #73
lav42 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used polynomials and specifically special symmetric polynomials extensively during my Phd research (mathematical physics). For instance symmetric polynomials (x_1^2 + x_2^2 + ...) can describe the state of a system of particles where exchanging any 2 particles does not change the system at all (exchange x_1 and x_2 in the previous expression, same polynomial = same system & state). If you have a system of equation…

That an exercise on SICP, a Scheme learning book. And there are similar ones for Common Lisp.

Say what? I'm always astounded that people think everyone knows all the acronyms for whatever field they're working in.

Re: Symbolica Computer Algebra System

#102

Post by jiggawatts »

HiggsBozo1337 wrote: post #69

I am leading an academic research group with a site-wide Symbolica license. Because Symbolica is in early development and the work of a single person for now, one great benefit for us is the dedicated attention we receive. Any bug or feature we're particularly interested in gets immediate attention. And despite the product being licensed, Symbolica's source-available nature gives us full confidence in the author's lo…

I’m not sure what I like the most: the positive collaborative attitude, or your user name!

Re: Symbolica Computer Algebra System

#103

Post by masfuerte »

lav42 wrote: post #101
anthk wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That an exercise on SICP, a Scheme learning book. And there are similar ones for Common Lisp.

Say what? I'm always astounded that people think everyone knows all the acronyms for whatever field they're working in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structure_and_Interpretation_o...

Re: Symbolica Computer Algebra System

#104

Post by dwheeler »

Aardwolf wrote: post #27

It is an interesting combination of open source yet paid. But the price is "Contact us for a quote" Can't they at least give a ballpark number of what the price is? Matlab and Mathematica are about $1000-3000 per year for commercial license, they aren't hiding their price.

This isn't open source software, it's source available. I don't see any claim on that page that it's open source, the page only says "source available" instead.

Re: Symbolica Computer Algebra System

#105

Post by lifthrasiir »

MichaelMug wrote: post #50
lifthrasiir wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

See https://symbolica.io/docs/get_started.html#license for the context.

I see all the license checking code in lib.rs but nothing in build.rs?

Ooh, you were right. Either something has changed since my initial viewing (unlikely) or I have incorrectly assumed that it is in build.rs because all other examples don't contain `LicenseManager` (much more likely).

Re: Symbolica Computer Algebra System

#106

Post by lifthrasiir »

lifthrasiir wrote: post #35

(Ab)using `build.rs` for license checking is brilliant and horrible at once ;-) (Another argument for sandboxing build scripts?) By the way, `Cargo.toml` example in the installation section has a significant typo: symbolica = { "*" } # Should have been just `symbolica = "*"`.

EDIT: Symbolica doesn't use `build.rs` for license checking, that was clearly my misunderstanding.

Re: Symbolica Computer Algebra System

#107

Post by hi-v-rocknroll »

Apart from programmatic UX, I'm unsure what the use-case or competitive advantages. Perhaps it could use a comparison matrix along with well-known CAS systems, i.e., Giac (Erable's successor), Mathematica, and Maple. Mathematica and Maple are among the powerful CASes. See also: [0]. *

I used HP 48 (Erable) extensively in college for physics, math, chemistry, and electrical engineering courses. It could simplify systems of equations, symbolically integrate, and solve ordinary and partial diff eqs. Not quite Mathematica or Maple, but Erable was portable before laptops or smartphones were widely available.

If you want to push a CAS, try deriving a general time-dependent for the Schrödinger wave equation (PDF) for hydrogen (1s1). ;)

0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_algebra_syste...

* Wikipedia is wrong. Erable is included in 48G/GX by default, but it might've been an add-on for 48S/SX.

Re: Symbolica Computer Algebra System

#108

Post by temporarara »

lav42 wrote: post #101
anthk wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That an exercise on SICP, a Scheme learning book. And there are similar ones for Common Lisp.

Say what? I'm always astounded that people think everyone knows all the acronyms for whatever field they're working in.

While I agree with this attitude towards obscure acronyms, SICP is widely known among those who voluntary enter a site called Hacker News, and it's easily searchable too.

Re: Symbolica Computer Algebra System

#109

Post by auggierose »

ted_dunning wrote: post #96
auggierose wrote: post #79

How does source-available work together with license keys? Can I not just compile it myself and be done with the license key?

It works by allowing the project to deal with honest people and ignore assholes efficiently. And for a small team (in this case, one person), getting rid of assholes who just want to rip the project off with minimal effort is a big win. After all, if you just want to play around with the system you are a hobbyist and can get it for free anyway. Why go to the extra effort of stealing the code? And if you actually are…

I don't think it is about people being assholes, but just going the way of least resistance. So if it is easier to buy a license key and use it, than to just remove the license check, then that's what people will do. Same the other way around.

I read somewhere here that the free version is restricted (single thread only?). Also the mechanism for offline work sounds like a pain, so if multithreaded and offline is your use case, the case for getting a license key just got murky.

I am wondering about this because it just seems hard to sell source available software. Everybody is complaining about price and license keys. But if you put the software behind an SaaS, and go the subscription way, you avoid all of this trouble. Of course, in this case, that just doesn't seem possible.

Personally, I'd like to sell my software source available and without an SaaS indirection, but I am wondering how to get paid in that scenario.

License keys make the software worse, so there just seems to be a logical problem here in the case of source available software: Why pay for worse software? In case of closed-source software, no such logical problem exists: license keys make the software infinitely better, because otherwise it wouldn't work at all.

Re: Symbolica Computer Algebra System

#110

Post by pjmlp »

HiggsBozo1337 wrote: post #69

I am leading an academic research group with a site-wide Symbolica license. Because Symbolica is in early development and the work of a single person for now, one great benefit for us is the dedicated attention we receive. Any bug or feature we're particularly interested in gets immediate attention. And despite the product being licensed, Symbolica's source-available nature gives us full confidence in the author's lo…

All those C++ examples feel like bare bones C, when modern C++ can be made to look as easy to use as Python.

I expect to see std:: types for everything, proper namespaces, ranges,... not C strings, C arrays, and extern "C".

See CUDA and SYCL.

Also the API reference for C++ is missing in most places.

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