An open standard for the development of algorithms

On August 9 2005, INRIA (host of the Scilab consortium), Maplesoft, Mathsoft and National Instruments (Nasdaq : NATI) announced the creation of the Numerical Mathematics Consortium (NMC). Associated with participants from the industrial and academic world, these mathematical software publishers joined forces to establish consistent and concrete bases for numerical programming. The initial goal of the consortium was the establishment of an open standard for the semantics of mathematical functions used to develop algorithms for use in a wide range of disciplines and in various hardware and software environments.

« There has long been a need in our industry for a unified and standardised base, explains Ali Maleki, Director of the Brake and Chassis Electronics programme for ArvinMeritor. Today, each tool has its own function set, often requiring extensive training, which has led us to develop algorithms and know-how that is not easily transferable to the rest of the industry. We must rewrite these algorithms for new projects or when implementing new technologies, which leads to additional costs. A standard set of mathematical functions based on semantics accepted by the industry would be a great leap forward in the creation of transferable techniques and ready-to-use libraries and tools that can be used instantly in a number of environments, thus resulting in financial savings. »

The purpose of this organisation is to create specifications to define the mathematical functions the most frequently used in numerical algorithms. These algorithms can then be integrated in applications specific to a number of activity fields such as industrial control, the development of embedded software and numerous research fields. They can therefore be easily transferred between researchers and engineers in industrial and academic fields.

« By using the industrial standards developed by the Numerical Mathematics Consortium, students can create algorithms compatible with functions shared by traditional tools and be assured that their work will be correctly integrated in other mathematical environments, states Robert H. Bishop, Professor and President of the Aerospatial Engineering and Mechanics Department for the University of Texas. Furthermore, with a proven standard for numerical mathematics, I can be sure that my students will be trained on tools and approaches that they will encounter in the industry. »

The Numerical Mathematics Consortium will create a mathematical community within which the exchange of ideas and information will be facilitated by a shared vocabulary.