[boost] GSOC Project : Number Theory and Tree Libraries for Boost.

From: Sykora (sykora.skywave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-03-23 02:17:08

Hello all,

I have a few ideas for a contribution to Boost during Google Summer of Code,
and I would appreciate any advice/feedback/criticism.

My ideas consist of the following parts :

1. Building a Boost Number Theory Library

I've noticed that in all the mathematics and algorithms libraries, there is no
Boost Library for basic Number Theory. I will try to remedy this by implementing
those functions common in a number theory library, and interfacing them with
other boost libraries.

Proposed features of the Number Theory Library :
    -- GCD
    -- LCM
    -- Extended GCD
    -- Modular Inverse
    -- Modular Exponentiation
    -- Primality Tests :
        -- Deterministic
        -- Probabilistic
    -- Factorization
    -- Prime Number Generation

    -- Support for GMP

More functionality can be provided, this is just the tip of the iceberg (and the
most commonly used)

2. Building a Boost Tree Library :
The idea here to is write a Tree Library to complement the already
existing Graph library.
One of the goals of this library would be to interface with the Graph
library where necessary,
such as the Minimum Spanning Tree functions, etc.

Proposed Features of the Tree Library :
    -- Binary Search Trees
        -- Red-Black Trees and/or AVL Trees

    -- Operations on these trees, including insert/delete, balancing, I/O, etc.

Possible follow-up activity :
    -- Expose the above modules to python using the Boost.Python

However, as far as I can see, the Boost.Python library was last updated in 2005,
and should be updated to the current Python/C API, possibly to the anticipated
API of python's impending landmark 3.0 release.

Any comments regarding the community's views on these ideas (such as
feasibility,
modifications, etc) will be appreciated and mulled over :).

Cheers,

P.C. Shyamshankar.