A portable general-purpose computer algebra system
There are distributions for different platforms. Click on a release name in the File/Folder Name column to display the archive files available. Click on your chosen file to download it.
We use Subversion (SVN). For instructions and other options, go to the Project page and click on the Code button.
Since the Open Source version of REDUCE is new, there is a better than average chance of important bug fixes or developments over the coming months that you might like to know about, and we get some idea of who is interested in REDUCE.
An Integrated Development Environment for the GNU Emacs editor.
Look for openreduce-*.
REDLOG provides an extension of REDUCE to a computer logic system. It is included in the SourceForge distribution.
The Open Source version of the REDUCE algebra system was registered on SourceForge.net on Dec 18, 2008.
REDUCE is a system for doing scalar, vector and matrix algebra by computer, which also supports arbitrary precision numerical approximation and interfaces to gnuplot to provide graphics. It can be used interactively for simple calculations (as illustrated in the screenshot above) but also provides a full programming language, with a syntax similar to other modern programming languages.
REDUCE has a long and distinguished place in the history of computer algebra systems (see the bibliography). Other systems that address some of the same issues but sometimes with rather different emphasis are Axiom, Macsyma (Maxima), Maple, Mathematica and MuPAD.
REDUCE is implemented in Lisp (as are Axiom and Macsyma), but this is completely hidden from the casual user. REDUCE primarily runs on either Portable Standard Lisp (PSL) or Codemist Standard Lisp (CSL), both of which are included in the SourceForge distribution. PSL is long-established and compiles to machine code, whereas CSL is newer and compiles to byte code. Hence, PSL may be faster but CSL may be available on a wider range of platforms.
Tony Hearn, who is the main and original author of this software, writes:
In 1963, I began work on a software system that would in time evolve into REDUCE. By 1968, copies had been made available to various researchers throughout the world. Forty years later, there is still an active community of users. In order to encourage further development, I have decided to make the software freely available under a modified BSD license.
A more complete history of REDUCE is available on Tony Hearn's REDUCE web site.
This page was last edited by fjwright on 23 February 2013.