History, features, and commentary on FORMAC

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to summarize significant characteristics and features of the FORMAC system. FORMAC (FORmula MAnipulation Compiler), an extension of IBM 7090/94 FORTRAN IV, permits algebraic manipulation of mathematical expressions. The FORMAC system provides such capabilities as symbolic differentiation, substitution, evaluation, expansion, and finding coefficients.

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This paper comments on the project formation, FORMAC capability and language, overall approach to implementation, application problems for which the system has proved of value, and the results of an experimental venture to develop a time-sharing FORMAC algebraic desk calculator.