[Axiom-developer] MuPad under trouble

[root]

God I hate to see such research die.

I hope they have a "deadman provision" to open source the work
if MuPAD/SciFace dies. Perhaps we could merge the efforts and
benefit in the long run. If they do open the code someone should
let me know.

I know that in the U.S. there is no NSF funding available for
Computer Algebra research. The argument seems to be that as
long as there are commercial ventures doing CA there is no need
for public funding. (Europe has been much more enlightened in 
this respect.)

It's a short-sighted view. Companies fail. And when they fail
they take their code with them. Witness IBM, during its failing
years, which sold Axiom. Witness Symbolics, which locked up Macsyma.

Even with individuals we lose work. Manual's work is still tied
up somewhere in INRIA.

Suppose it was Wolfram or Maplesoft that folded? What would become
of all of that research work? Will computational mathematics have
a huge black hole if these companies die?

I fear for the future of computational mathematics. 
The past century was the birth of the subject. 
This century will make for a very difficult childhood.

Is this how future science will live and die?

Tim