Mathematical software for microcomputers

Abstract

Abstract: This study is concerned with designing and implementing a portable numerical software library suitable for microcomputers. The nature and use of microcomputers are examined and from this examination and the type of user community expected, the aims of the library are then established. These aims help to determine the nature of the library. Having established the nature of the library, each area in mathematical computation for which routines are to be written is then examined. Algorithms whose implementations satisfy certain criteria such as reliability, suitability for microcomputers, speed are selected for inclusion in the library. The library is written in such a way that a double precision version of the library can easily be made from the available single precision version. Suggestions as to how the library can be tuned are also given. Appendices: The first appendix describes how the library is installed and used. The others are the documentations of the various routines implementing the selected algorithms. Each routine is described and in most cases an example is given to show how it is used. Areas in mathematical comμutatlon for which routines are available are algebraic linear systems, nonlinear functions, polynomials, quadrature, ordinary differential equations, minimization, least squares approximation and special functions.