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From: jans@orca.UUCP (Jan Steinman)
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: Re: What language do you use for scientific programming?
Message-ID: <1714@orca.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Sep-85 13:25:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: orca.1714
Posted: Fri Sep  6 13:25:57 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 9-Sep-85 00:39:34 EDT
References: <909@oddjob.UUCP> <64500002@hpislb.UUCP> <630@mmintl.UUCP> <29418@apple.UUCP>
Reply-To: jans@orca.UUCP (Jan Steinman)
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
Lines: 33
Summary: 

In article <29418@apple.UUCP> mark@apple.UUCP (Mark Lentczner) writes:
>I know this may sound bizarre, but why not Smalltalk for scientific
>programming?...  Of course the only real limitation on Smalltalk as a
>scientific compute engine is its speed...

It's just a matter of time before Smalltalk interfaces to compiled languages
are available.  The the Smalltalk speed issue will be put to rest by writing
the number crunch objects in C or Pascal (or perhaps standard scientific
routines in a FORTRAN library?).  Write it first in Smalltalk, then compile
the bottlenecks.  (Rapid prototype driven design.)

Do YOU want scientific Smalltalk?  Contact your favorite implementor.  Special
primitive routines are not difficult to add.  All that is needed is stong
Smalltalk community demand.

>... there are some implementations from Tektronix that run circles around...
>... for still far less than lisp machine prices...

(Thanks for the plug!)  Some Tek implementations include primitives for many
trig functions that are normally performed in Smalltalk code in a "by the
book" implementation.  Floating point co-processors are also used to VASTLY
improve Smalltalk's number-crunching ability.  Research is under way
concerning primitive representation of floating point objects.  The
combination of these techniques ought to result in well-written Smalltalk
number-crunching methods that are just as fast as equivalent routines written
in a compiled language.

>Well, THERE'S some fuel for the fire....

Keep those flames a comin'!
-- 
:::::: Jan Steinman		Box 1000, MS 61-161	(w)503/685-2843 ::::::
:::::: tektronix!tekecs!jans	Wilsonville, OR 97070	(h)503/657-7703 ::::::