Re: [boost] different matrix library?

Subject: Re: [boost] different matrix library?
From: joel (joel.falcou_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-08-15 13:25:16

Edward Grace wrote:
> Well, semantics I know but they are all tensors.  A
>
>  scalar -> tensor of order 0,
>  vector -> a tensor of order 1,
>  matrix -> a tensor of order 2. ;-)
Ok back to this. I had a discussionw ith my co-worker on this matter and 
our current code state.
Well, in fact, in MATLAB, the concept of LinAlg matrix and of 
multi-diemnsional container are merged.
So now, what about the following class set :

- table : matlab like "matrix" ie container of data that can be 
N-Dimensions. Only suppot elementwise operations.
- vector/covector : reuse table component for memory management + add 
lin. alg. vector  semantic. Can be downcasted to table and table can be 
explciitly turned into vector/covector baring size macthing.
- matrix : ditto 2D lin. alg. object, interact with vector/covector as 
it should. Supprot algebra algorithm. Can have shape etc ...
- tensor : ditto with tensor.

Duck typing + CRTP + lightweight CT inheritance make all these 
interoperable.

Leads to nice stuff like :

vector * vector = outer product
covector * vector = scalar product
vector* covector = matrix
matrix*vector and covector*matrix are properly optimized
etc...

What do you htink of this then ?

-- 
___________________________________________
Joel Falcou - Assistant Professor
PARALL Team - LRI - Universite Paris Sud XI
Tel : [phone]