New in Version 1.2
- Subject: New in Version 1.2
- From: lisa at wri.UUCP
- Date: Tue, 29 Aug 89 21:54:41 -0500
- Apparently-to: mathgroup-out at yoda.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Mathematica--New in Version 1.2
Overview
--------
Many minor problems have been fixed. Many operations have
been made much more efficient. Various new features have
been added. The new features are compatible with Version 1.1.
Basic System Features
---------------------
Responsiveness to interrupts has been improved throughout the
system. Hash tables have been introduced to allow lists of rules to
be scanned more rapidly. The function Dispatch allows
explicit lists of rules to be optimized using hash tables.
Hash tables are introduced automatically in assignments,
making function definitions that involve dynamic programming
much more efficient. [S. Wolfram]
The main evaluator has been restructured so that many
recursive operations have been made iterative. This
increases speed and saves stack space. It does mean that
some calculations which used to be stopped by
$RecursionLimit now continue until interrupted. [H. Cejtin]
Block[{vars}, body /; test] has been introduced, to allow
local variables to be shared between tests and function
bodies. [S. Wolfram]
Operations that modify elements of lists and other structures
have been made much more efficient. Copying of internal data
structures is now avoided in almost all cases. [H. Cejtin]
Certain pattern-matching operations involving commutative
functions have been greatly speeded up. [K. McIsaac and S. Wolfram]
Input and Output
----------------
The appearance and speed of OutputForm output has been
improved. Line breaks are more consistent, and exponents
more compact. MatrixForm now prints matrices more
compactly, with dimensions distinguished by spacing.
[B. Smith and S. Wolfram]
Encode has been added to allow external files to be stored
in an encoded form. Encode also allows files to be keyed,
or to be accessible only on machines with particular ID's.
[D. Ballman]
Definitions now print out with their formatting directives
given verbatim. [B. Smith]
The infix forms lhs === rhs and lhs =!= rhs have been added
for SameQ[lhs, rhs] and UnsameQ[lhs, rhs]. [H. Cejtin]
Mathematical Operations
-----------------------
Symbolic integration has been greatly enhanced. A much
larger class of integrals can now be done, and results are
given in simpler and more useful forms. [D. Withoff]
Multivariate polynomial GCD and factorization has been made
much more efficient. [R. Maeder and I. Rivin]
Algebraic functions can now handle approximate real numbers
in many more situations. [R. Maeder]
Solve has been taught to solve transcendental and other
equations that require explicit use of inverse functions. [D. Grayson]
The linear programming functions LinearProgramming,
ContrainedMax and ConstrainedMin have been added. [I. Rivin]
Rudimentary differential equation solving capabilities have
been introduced in the function DSolve. [I. Rivin]
Power series have been speeded up, and have been extended to
deal with many classes of special functions. [J. Keiper and I. Rivin]
MatrixPower and MatrixExp have been added. [I. Rivin]
The functions GCD for numbers, and PolynomialGCD for
polynomials, have been separated. [R. Maeder]
Modulus options have been added to Det, Inverse and
LinearSolve. [I. Rivin]
The function Residue, for finding residues at poles, has
been added. [D. Grayson]
The function GroebnerBasis, which gives explicit forms of
Grbner bases, has been added. [D. Grayson]
Numerical Operations
--------------------
The granularity in numerical precision has been reduced.
SetPrecision and Set-Accuracy have been added to provide
additional control over the properties of approximate
numbers. [D. Grayson]
Matrix multiplication and related operations have been
greatly speeded up. [I. Rivin]
The function Digits, which gives lists of digits of numbers
in particular bases, has been added. [D. Grayson]
TheInterpolatingPolynomial function has been added, to
give exact interpolating polynomials. [I. Rivin]
Graphics
--------
Axes and labels can now be drawn on three-dimensional plots.
[H. Cejtin]
Scaled has been enhanced to allow scaled offsets to be
specified. [H. Cejtin]
Circle and Disk primitives have been added for two-
dimensional graphics. [H. Cejtin]
The Ticks option has been enhanced, to allow more flexible
placement and labeling of tick marks. [H. Cejtin]
New options Background, DefaultColor, Prolog,Epilog,
AxesStyle, etc. have been added to give more flexibility in
the rendering of plots. [S. Wolfram]
Graphics3D[SurfaceGraphics[...]] converts a surface into
general 3D graphics representation. [S. Wolfram]
The graphics primitive PostScript has been added, to allow
verbatim PostScript code to be included in graphics output.
[S. Wolfram]
Packages
--------
Many new standard packages have been added, notably ones for
statistics and graphics. Packages are now organized into
several directories.
Macintosh Front End
-------------------
Overview
--------
A number of new features have been added, and some aspects of
the user interface have been reorganized. Notebooks created
under Version 1.1 are fully compatible with Version 1.2
(though not vice versa).
Basic System Features
---------------------
Kernel computations can now run concurrently with front end
opera-tions such as Notebook browsing and editing. While
Kernel compu-tations are occuring, Running... is displayed in
the title bar of the current window. Cells whose execution
is pending are indicated with outlined cell brackets. [T. Gray]
Kernel computations can now be run in the background under
MultiFinder. (It is also possible in this way to have
multiple concurrent Mathematica processes.)
Kernel start up can now occur con-currently with front end
opera-tions. Starting... is displayed in the menu bar in
this case.
Menus have been rearranged. Graph has been added to themain
menu bar, replacing the Special Effects submenu. Preference
settings have been collected in the Settings submenu of the
Edit menu. New commands include Divide Cell and Merge Cells.
Cell styles are now given in the Cell Style submenu, rather
than directly under the Style menu. The Format submenu
allows special formatting of individual cells, replacing the
Formats menu that appeared when the Styles Window was in front.
User Interface Feature
----------------------
A 3D ViewPoint Selector dialog box has been added. It
displays a cube that can be rotated in real time using the
mouse, and whose orientation can be pasted into Mathematica
input in several ways. [T. Gray]
A Color Selector dialog box has been added, allowing RGBColor
specifications to be chosen using the standard Macintosh
color wheel.
New graphical controls for anima-tion have been added,
mimicking those found on VCRs.
Real-time scrolling has been added as an option.
Various Command-Shift key equivalents have been added for
commands.
Most dialog boxes are now modeless, so that they can remain
visible while other operations are done.
Graphics Features
-----------------
Adobe Illustrator 1.1 PostScript file format has been added
as an option in the Convert Clipboard dialog box. Various
options for conversion from RGB (display) to CMYK (printing)
colors are provided. [T. Gray]
A Convert to InputForm command has been added to allow
graphics stored in a Notebook in either PICT or PostScript
form to be converted to Mathematica input form. This allows
graphics and images from other programs to be imported into
Mathematica and manipulated using Mathematica Kernel functions.
The Convert to PostScript command has been enhanced to
include bitmaps as well as objects. Also colorimage objects
can be produced.
Rendering of density plots has been made faster, and there is
no restriction on size.
Communication
-------------
Communication with the Mathematica Kernel via TCP/IP has been
added. It runs over both Ethernet and LocalTalk. Standard
Apple MacTCP drivers are used. [R. Murtagh]
The Phone menu has been renamed Connections, and now has
entries for both phone numbers and network hostnames.