Re: Can we freely use AMOS in Octave?

[Robert T. Short]

On 08/18/2012 06:36 AM, Steven G. Johnson wrote:
> Dmitri A. Sergatskov wrote:
>
> I received a copy of COULCC with an explicit MIT/X11 license directly 
> from the original author.  This version of the code (including the 
> permission email from the author), along with a re-entrant C++ 
> translation that I created (semi-automated, but not f2c), is available 
> at:
>
>     http://jdj.mit.edu/~stevenj/coulcc-20120813.tgz
>
> However, the code (both the Fortran original and my C++ translation) 
> has a problem that turned up in my evaluation: it has significantly 
> worse accuracy than AMOS for some moderate-size Bessel orders (~ 10).  
> The original author is taking a look at this, but at the moment it may 
> be problematic as a drop-in replacement for AMOS.
>
> However, AMOS's inclusion in SLATEC, which has an explicit 
> public-domain statement by the national laboratories, seems like it 
> may fix the licensing problem with AMOS and eliminate the need for ACM 
> permission.
>
> Steven
The "Amos" code was obtained from netlib, not the ACM.  Here is what 
netlib says about restrictions on use:

Most netlib software packages have no restrictions on their use but we 
recommend you check with the authors to be sure. Checking with the 
authors is a nice courtesy anyway since many authors like to know how 
their codes are being used.

See http://netlib.org/misc/faq.html#2.3

And from the readme in the Amos directory on the netlib site

This algorithm is a package of subroutines for computing Bessel
 functions and Airy functions.  The routines are updated
 versions of those routines found in TOMS algorithm 644.


So this really isn't the TOMS code anyway.  Furthermore, this code was 
published elsewhere (see the references in Amos' code).  I really don't 
think the ACM owns the copyright to the code we are using, and I think 
the only person that can grant or revoke permission is Amos himself or 
more likely Sandia Labs.  I emailed a friend at Sandia to see if he can 
find Mr. (Dr.?) Amos, but have had no response.  This code was written 
almost 30 years ago, so I am thinking he will be hard to find.

If we decide to go another route, I will chip in and help.

Bob