Re: [Axiom-developer] Trusting computer algebra systems

[Juan Luis Varona Malumbres]

Dear Tim,

(Sorry for my English)

Thanks a lot for your message.

I heard about Axiom for the first time in 1994, when Andrew Tonks gave a talk 
about Axiom in my University. 

But I use Mac computers and Axiom was not available for them. 
Actually, I have seen today in 
http://axiom-developer.org/axiom-website/download.html 
that a mac version has been released in August 2014.
(although http://axiom-developer.org/axiom-website/faq.html does not mention a 
Mac version)

I have downloaded it and try to use it as a terminal binary.
But it has been impossible for me to do anything. I have used some of the binary
files in MACOSX/bin and I have gotten only errors.

For instance (I copy and paste):
----
/Users/jvarona/Downloads/axiom/mnt/MACOSX/bin/axiom 
AXIOM variable is not set
assuming AXIOM = /usr/local/axiom/mnt/linux
The directory for Axiom, /usr/local/axiom/mnt/linux, does not exist.
Goodbye.
----
or
----
/Users/jvarona/Downloads/axiom/mnt/MACOSX/bin/AXIOMsys 
This function is obsolete -- use SET-STARTING-HOLE-DIVISOR instead
                        AXIOM Computer Algebra System 
                        Version: Axiom (August 2014)
                Timestamp: Monday July 28, 2014 at 04:12:34 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Issue )copyright to view copyright notices.
   Issue )summary for a summary of useful system commands.
   Issue )quit to leave AXIOM and return to shell.
   Visit http://axiom-developer.org for more information
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
   >> System error:
   Cannot open the file /Users/daly/axiom/mnt/MACOSX/algebra/interp.daase.

 
   >> System error:
   The tag |top_level| is undefined.
----

In any case, to use Axiom in terminal mode is, of course, much more ugly and 
much more complicate than to use a program with a GUI interface.

I have read in axiom web about the use of a browser as GUI (similar to sage, I 
suppose). Is it already available?

Yours,

Juan Luis

> Gentlemen,
> 
> I'm Tim Daly, lead developer on Axiom, an open source computer algebra
> system.
> 
> I just finished reading your paper "The Misfortunes of a Trio of
> Mathematicians Using Computer Algebra Systems. Can We Trust in Them?"
> 
> You mentioned the "black box" aspect of Mathematica and Maple.
> I wonder if you've tried using Axiom which is fully open source.
> http://axiom-developer.org
> 
> I will try to decode the MMA notebooks you posted so I can run
> your examples in Axiom.
> 
> Tim




--

Juan Luis Varona
address@hidden

http://www.unirioja.es/cu/jvarona/