Re: [boost] math & numerics in Boost

From: Fernando Cacciola (fcacciola_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-09-18 08:26:44

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jason D Schmidt" <jd.schmidt_at_[hidden]>
To: <boost_at_[hidden]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 9:55 PM
Subject: [boost] math & numerics in Boost

> Hi,
>
> I'm kind of new to Boost
Welcome!

>(I've used it a little, I've been on the
> developers' list for a few months, but I haven't submitted any code), so
> I'm
> wondering about what direction Boost is going regarding math & numerics.
> I
> see a number of directories/files in the CVS, like
> math/special_functions/,
> math/quaternion.hpp, math/octonion.hpp, mpl/, multi-array/, numeric/mtl/,
> and numeric/ublas.  I have a number of questions:
>
> 1.  Will Boost add more special functions to make its library more
> complete,
> like Gamma functions, Bessel functions, Hermite functions, etc.?
>
Most likely, although there is no such 'single entity' as Boost :-)
Any stuff will be added as long as someone makes a submission, it goes
through formal review, and is accepted by the comunity.
For instance, if you know of good working implementations of any of the
above, you might contact the authors to see if they will be willing to
donate those to boost.

For example, in the files section there is an incomplete library which
generalizes the std (C++ and C99) math functions to generic types. As soon
as someone has the time, this work will be resumed.

> 3.  Would multi-array replace std::valarray<T>?  If so, could valarray be
> removed from the standard in favor of multi-array or something even
> better?
Don't know about multi-array, but I think that something will happen to
valarray<> in C++0x. Either it is removed or rewritten.

> 4.  Are Boost developers interested in adding more numerical support for
> their array classes, like root-finding, derivatives, integrals,
> interpolation, curve fitting, solving differential equations, fourier
> transforms, statistics?
>
I'm sure many boost users will be interested.
As for boost developers, there is not a closed list of such people, thus,
anyone out there with any of these could (and is encourage to) submit this
sort of work and become a boost developer.

Fernando Cacciola
Sierra s.r.l.
fcacciola_at_[hidden]
www.gosierra.com