[seqfan] Re: Maple strongly discouraged

[Neil Sloane]

Yes, I wasn't really going to mention Mma by name in the warning!
But I was hoping my suggestion might worm its way through
Maple's thick skin.

I agree that the traditional %p (for maPle) and %t (for maThematica)
lines are a bit outdated, and all the programming fields could be
revised. But that's a job for the future.

I also agree that adding version numbers (e.g. Maple 15) would
be a good idea.

We certainly do need to include warnings in the Help etc. pages
saying that because programming languages change so quickly
(especially Maple), programs should be tested before being used,
and the OEIS accepts no responsibility for ... ...

Neil





On Sun, Jan 12, 2014 at 1:31 PM, M. F. Hasler <oeis at hasler.fr> wrote:

> Even though I made that little bit sarcastic & exaggerated remark, I don't
> think that Maple should be discouraged and even less that Mathematica
> should be preferred.
> It is somehow normal that a language evolves, and maple has in general
> quite good downward compatibility, the RETURN() function is a noticable
> exception. (Did never understand how they came to think about "RETURN()"!)
> Other languages, the (younger) PARI included, have the same or worse
> issues...
> The name of the programming language should (et least optionally) include
> the version, e.g. Maple V, Maple 10, PARI 2.6, PARI 2.6.1..., as I already
> suggested earlier (and I even put (PARI 2.6.1) instead of (PARI) in some
> submissions but this was not (always(?)) approved....)
>
> Even mathematics changes definitions, e.g. for the primes...
>
> I we are to make amendments in "code" sections, I'd vote for uniformization
> and abolish the privilege of %m and %M tags for Maple and Mmca,
> and/or find 1-2 more tags for the most popular progamming languages
> (I think PARI is no more much behind %m and %M)
> and/or implement a display routine that displays %o lines starting with
> (BASIC) or (PHP) or (PARI 2.6) or the like as
> <tr><td> PARI v. 2.6<td >Axxx = n -> ...</tr>
> instead of
> <tr><td> PROGRAM<td >(PARI v. 2.6) Axxx = n -> ...</tr>
> since the latter is less easy to copy-paste.
>
> M.
>
>
> On Sun, Jan 12, 2014 at 2:07 PM, Neil Sloane <njasloane at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Dear Seq Fans, Maximilian Hasler has pointed out that
> > my Maple program in A109671 (which worked correctly in Maple 16)  no
> > longer gives correct results in Maple 17 because it used the RETURN()
> > command.
> >
> > The Maple web site says
> >
> > "use of the RETURN procedure is strongly discouraged"
> >
> > and I can see why - it produces incorrect answers (without any warning).
> Of
> > course I don't see WHY they did this.
> >
> > Now there over 1900 Maple lines in the OEIS that use the RETURN
> statement.
> >  Maybe these lines need a comment saying:
> >
> > # Warning: May give incorrect answers because Maple has changed the
> meaning
> > of RETURN. Suggest switching to Mathematica instead.
> >
> > (Not sure about the second part)
> >
> > I could (and probably will have to) do this with a global edit.
> > Is there any other solution?  It is unethical for us to include programs
> > that give wrong answers.
> >
> > Here's the Maple program that works correctly in Maple 16 but gives wrong
> > answers  in Maple 17:
> >
> > > f:=proc(n) option remember; local t1;
> >
> > > if n = 1 then RETURN(1);
> >
> > > elif n mod 2 = 0 then RETURN(f(n/2));
> >
> > > else t1:= f(n-2)-f((n-1)/2);
> >
> > > if t1 > 0 then RETURN(t1) else RETURN(f(n-2)+f((n-1)/2)); fi; fi; end;
> >
> > Neil
> > --
> > Dear Friends, I have now retired from AT&T. New coordinates:
> >
> > Neil J. A. Sloane, President, OEIS Foundation
> > 11 South Adelaide Avenue, Highland Park, NJ 08904, USA.
> > Also Visiting Scientist, Math. Dept., Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ.
> > Phone: 732 828 6098; home page: http://NeilSloane.com
> > Email: njasloane at gmail.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > Seqfan Mailing list - http://list.seqfan.eu/
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Maximilian
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> Seqfan Mailing list - http://list.seqfan.eu/
>



-- 
Dear Friends, I have now retired from AT&T. New coordinates:

Neil J. A. Sloane, President, OEIS Foundation
11 South Adelaide Avenue, Highland Park, NJ 08904, USA.
Also Visiting Scientist, Math. Dept., Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ.
Phone: 732 828 6098; home page: http://NeilSloane.com
Email: njasloane at gmail.com