[Axiom-mail] CATS test suite

[root]

Dr Salvy, Dr Meunier,

I just returned from ISSAC where your paper on the Encyclopedia
of Special Functions was presented.

I'm the lead developer of Axiom which has recently become free and
open source software.

I'm involved in an effort called CATS (Computer Algebra Test Suite).
We are collecting test suites from the various computer algebra
systems, classifying the tests, and building a taxonomy from these
tests. The rational is that each computer algebra system has a random
collection of tests. These are usually created by the author of an
algorithm at the time the algorithm is written. These tests are rerun
to provide regression testing. The key flaw is that these tests are
almost never validated. There are a large number of computer algebra
systems and a limited number of computational mathematicians and we
have every incentive to share the expertise to improve the systems.

The ultimate goal is to have a taxonomy of validated tests organized
similar to the GAMS classification. GAMS is too numeric-specific to be
useful for the range of symbolic software functionality. Special
functions are only one area where current systems need testing.

We've been looking at various collections of mathematics, including
DLMF, and are interested in electronic forms of examples to use as
test cases. Note that CATS is intended as testing material, not
as user-level examples. We expect that an independent, standardized
test suite will raise the overall quality of the current computer
algebra system results.

Are your test cases for the algolib library available? 

I think there is an overlap of interests between the CATS effort and
the Algolib effort even though CATS is intended for internal use and
Algolib is intended for the end user. In particular, it would be
valuable if all of the current systems provided the same answers.  Is
there a person on your project who is willing to be the principal
contact between your effort and ours? Could you forward this message
to that person?

Many thanks,

Tim Daly
address@hidden
address@hidden