as for Calc and the math library

[Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com>]

> Sent: Monday, August 12, 2024 at 5:59 AM
> From: "Eli Zaretskii" <eliz@gnu.org>
> To: "Ihor Radchenko" <yantar92@posteo.net>
> Cc: incal@dataswamp.org, emacs-devel@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: as for Calc and the math library
>
> > From: Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net>
> > Cc: Emanuel Berg <incal@dataswamp.org>, emacs-devel@gnu.org
> > Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2024 16:45:54 +0000
> >
> > Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:
> >
> > > If Emacs is to have a math library, the library must use high-quality
> > > mathematical and numerical algorithms that are well-known and
> > > described in many textbooks on this subject matter...
> >
> > I agree with this point, but I suspect that writing such a library from
> > scratch might be a bit difficult.
>
> It depends on the scope and the person who'd like to work on that.
>
> > May I suggest an alternative: abstract out GNU Calc math routines to be
> > available from Elisp without having to read Calc sources.
> > Such a task would require:
> > 1. Documenting some Calc data structures
> > 2. Possibly refactoring some Calc functions to use simpler API.
> >
> > It would be a much easier task and can improve the existing
> > functionality.
>
> I don't think I understand well enough what will this entail in
> practice.  Can you show an example of doing this for a couple of
> functions?
>
> In any case, this job, as any other job in Emacs, needs its
> volunteer(s).  Until we have such volunteers, it's all academic.

For good mathematical libraries, you require a practicing applied
mathematician.  A programmer is not enough.