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Wolfram (previously known as Mathematica and Wolfram Mathematica) is a software system with built-in libraries for several areas of technical computing that allows machine learning, statistics, symbolic computation, data manipulation, network analysis, time series analysis, NLP, optimization, plotting functions and various types of data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user interfaces, and interfacing with programs written in other programming languages. It was conceived by Stephen Wolfram, and is developed by Wolfram Research of Champaign, Illinois.[7][8] The Wolfram Language is the programming language used in Mathematica.[9] Mathematica 1.0 was released on June 23, 1988 in Champaign, Illinois and Santa Clara, California.[10][11][12] Mathematica's Wolfram Language is fundamentally based on Lisp; for example, the Mathematica command Most is identically equal to the Lisp command butlast. There is a substantial literature on the development of computer algebra systems (CAS).
| Wolfram | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Wolfram Research |
| Initial release | June?23, 1988[1] |
| Written in | Wolfram Language,[2] C/C++, Java[3] |
| Platform | Windows,[4] macOS, Linux (includes separated support for Raspbian on Raspberry Pi[5]), online service. All platforms support 64-bit implementations.[6] (list) |
| Available in | English, Chinese, Japanese |
| Type | Computer algebra, numerical computations, information visualization, statistics, user interface creation |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | www |
Notebook interface
editMathematica is split into two parts: the kernel and the front end. The kernel interprets expressions (Wolfram Language code) and returns result expressions, which can then be displayed by the front end.
The original front end, designed by Theodore Gray[13] in 1988, consists of a notebook interface and allows the creation and editing of notebook documents that can contain code, plaintext, images, and graphics.[14]
Code development is also supported through support in a range of standard integrated development environment (IDE) including Eclipse,[15] IntelliJ IDEA,[16] Atom, Vim, Visual Studio Code and Git. The Mathematica Kernel also includes a command line front end.[17]
Other interfaces include JMath,[18] based on GNU Readline and WolframScript[19] which runs self-contained Mathematica programs (with arguments) from the UNIX command line.
High-performance computing
editCapabilities for high-performance computing were extended with the introduction of packed arrays in version 4 (1999)[20] and sparse matrices (version 5, 2003),[21] and by adopting the GNU Multiple Precision Arithmetic Library to evaluate high-precision arithmetic.
Version 5.2 (2005) added automatic multi-threading when computations are performed on multi-core computers.[22] This release included CPU-specific optimized libraries.[23] In addition Mathematica is supported by third party specialist acceleration hardware such as ClearSpeed.[24]
In 2002, gridMathematica was introduced to allow user level parallel programming on heterogeneous clusters and multiprocessor systems[25] and in 2008 parallel computing technology was included in all Mathematica licenses including support for grid technology such as Windows HPC Server 2008, Microsoft Compute Cluster Server and Sun Grid.
Support for CUDA and OpenCL GPU hardware was added in 2010.[26]
Extensions
editAs of Version 14, there are 6,602 built-in functions and symbols in the Wolfram Language.[27] Stephen Wolfram announced the launch of the Wolfram Function Repository in June 2019 as a way for the public Wolfram community to contribute functionality to the Wolfram Language.[28] At the time of Stephen Wolfram's release announcement for Mathematica 13, there were 2,259 functions contributed as Resource Functions.[29] In addition to the Wolfram Function Repository, there is a Wolfram Data Repository with computable data and the Wolfram Neural Net Repository for machine learning.[30]
Wolfram Mathematica is the basis of the Combinatorica package, which adds discrete mathematics functionality in combinatorics and graph theory to the program.[31]
Connections to other applications, programming languages, and services
editCommunication with other applications can be done using a protocol called Wolfram Symbolic Transfer Protocol (WSTP). It allows communication between the Wolfram Mathematica kernel and the front end and provides a general interface between the kernel and other applications.[32]
Wolfram Research freely distributes a developer kit for linking applications written in the programming language C to the Mathematica kernel through WSTP using J/Link.,[33] a Java program that can ask Mathematica to perform computations. Similar functionality is achieved with .NET /Link,[34] but with .NET programs instead of Java programs.
Other languages that connect to Mathematica include Haskell,[35] AppleScript,[36] Racket,[37] Visual Basic,[38] Python,[39][40] and Clojure.[41]
Mathematica supports the generation and execution of Modelica models for systems modeling and connects with Wolfram System Modeler.
Links are also available to many third-party software packages and APIs.[42]
Mathematica can also capture real-time data from a variety of sources[43] and can read and write to public blockchains (Bitcoin, Ethereum, and ARK).[44]
It supports import and export of over 220 data, image, video, sound, computer-aided design (CAD), geographic information systems (GIS),[45] document, and biomedical formats.
In 2019, support was added for compiling Wolfram Language code to LLVM.[46]
Version 12.3 of the Wolfram Language added support for Arduino.[47]
Computable data
editMathematica is also integrated with Wolfram Alpha, an online answer engine that provides additional data, some of which is kept updated in real time, for users who use Mathematica with an internet connection. Some of the data sets include astronomical, chemical, geopolitical, language, biomedical, airplane, and weather data, in addition to mathematical data (such as knots and polyhedra).[48]
Reception
editBYTE in 1989 listed Mathematica as among the "Distinction" winners of the BYTE Awards, stating that it "is another breakthrough Macintosh application ... it could enable you to absorb the algebra and calculus that seemed impossible to comprehend from a textbook".[49] Mathematica has been criticized for being closed source.[50] Wolfram Research claims keeping Mathematica closed source is central to its business model and the continuity of the software.[51][52]
See also
edit- Comparison of multi-paradigm programming languages
- Comparison of numerical-analysis software
- Comparison of programming languages
- Comparison of regular expression engines
- Dynamic programming language
- Fourth-generation programming language
- Functional programming
- List of computer algebra systems
- List of computer simulation software
- List of information graphics software
- Literate programming
- Mathematical markup language
- Mathematical software
- SageMath
- Wolfram Language
- Wolfram SystemModeler, a physical modeling and simulation tool which integrates with Mathematica
- WolframAlpha, a web answer engine
References
edit- ^ Wolfram, Stephen (23 Jun 2008), Mathematica Turns 20 Today, Wolfram, retrieved 16 May 2012
- ^ "Celebrating Mathematica's First Quarter Century". 23 June 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ The Software Engineering of Mathematica—Wolfram Mathematica 9 Documentation Archived 2025-08-14 at the Wayback Machine. Reference.wolfram.com. Retrieved on 2025-08-14.
- ^ "Mathematica 12 System Requirements and Platform Availability". Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- ^ Raspberry Pi Includes Mathematica for Free Archived 2025-08-14 at the Wayback Machine The Verge
- ^ "Wolfram Mathematica". Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Stephen Wolfram: Simple Solutions; The iconoclastic physicist's Mathematica software nails complex puzzles". BusinessWeek. October 3, 2005. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ "Contact Wolfram Research". Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Stephen Wolfram's new programming language: Can he make the world computable?". Slate Magazine. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Mathematica—Three Decades of Contributions, Invention, Discovery, and Education". www.wolfram.com. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ "Celebrating a Third of a Century of Mathematica, and Looking Forward—Stephen Wolfram Writings". writings.stephenwolfram.com. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ "There Was a Time before Mathematica…—Stephen Wolfram Writings". writings.stephenwolfram.com. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ Patent US8407580 Google Patent Search
- ^ Hayes, Brian (2025-08-14). "Thoughts on Mathematica" (PDF). Pixel. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2025-08-14.
- ^ "Wolfram intros Workbench IDE for Mathematica". Macworld. 21 June 2006. Archived from the original on 2 July 2006. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Mathematica plugin for IntelliJ IDEA".
- ^ Using a Text-Based Interface Archived 2025-08-14 at the Wayback Machine documentation at wolfram.com
- ^ "JMath: A GNU Readline based frontend for Mathematica". Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Directory listing". Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ Math software packs new power; new programs automate such tedious processes as solving nonlinear differential equations and converting units by Agnes Shanley, Chemical Engineering, March 1, 2002.
- ^ Mathematica 5.1: additional features make software well-suited for operations research professionals Archived 2025-08-14 at the Wayback Machine by ManMohan S. Sodhi, OR/MS Today, December 1, 2004.
- ^ The 21st annual Editors' Choice Awards Archived 2025-08-14 at the Wayback Machine, Macworld, February 1, 2006.
- ^ "Mathematica is tuned to take advantage of CPU features when available". Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "ClearSpeed Advance Accelerator Boards Certified by Wolfram Research; Math Coprocessors Enable Mathematica Users to Quadruple Performance". Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ gridMathematica offers parallel computing solution Archived 2025-08-14 at the Wayback Machine by Dennis Sellers, MacWorld, November 20, 2002.
- ^ "CUDA and OpenCL support added in Mathematica 8". Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "The Story Continues: Announcing Version 14 of Wolfram Language and Mathematica". writings.stephenwolfram.com. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ "The Wolfram Function Repository: Launching an Open Platform for Extending the Wolfram Language—Stephen Wolfram Writings". writings.stephenwolfram.com. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ "Launching Version 13.0 of Wolfram Language + Mathematica—Stephen Wolfram Writings". writings.stephenwolfram.com. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ "Launching the Wolfram Data Repository: Data Publishing that Really Works—Stephen Wolfram Writings". writings.stephenwolfram.com. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ Skiena, Steven (2003). Computational Discrete Mathematics: Combinatorics and Graph Theory with Mathematica. Cambridge University Press.
- ^ "Wolfram Symbolic Transfer Protocol (WSTP)".
- ^ Mathematica 4.2 Archived 2025-08-14 at the Wayback Machine by Charles Seiter, Macworld, November 1, 2002.
- ^ .NET/Link Archived 2025-08-14 at the Wayback Machine: .NET/Link is a toolkit that integrates Mathematica and the Microsoft .NET Framework.
- ^ "mathlink: Write Mathematica packages in Haskell - Hackage". Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ S.Kratky. "MathLink for AppleScript". Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "MrMathematica: Calling Mathematica from Scheme". Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Mathematica for ActiveX - from Wolfram Library Archive". Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "erocarrera/pythonika". GitHub. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "PYML (Python Mathematica interface) - from Wolfram Library Archive". Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Clojuratica - Home". Clojuratica.weebly.com. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ "Wolfram Documentation: ServiceConnect". Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ "Vernier and Mathematica". Archived from the original on 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ "Working with blockchains". Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ Mathematica 6 Labs Review Archived 2025-08-14 at the Wayback Machine Cadalyst Feb 1, 2008
- ^ "Create LLVM code". Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Launching Version 12.3 of Wolfram Language & Mathematica—Stephen Wolfram Writings". writings.stephenwolfram.com. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ "Scientific and Technical Data", Mathematic Guide, Wolfram Research, archived from the original on 10 May 2012, retrieved 16 May 2012
- ^ "The BYTE Awards". BYTE. January 1989. p.?327.
- ^ "Paul Romer". paulromer.net. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ "Why Wolfram Tech Isn't Open Source—A Dozen Reasons—Wolfram Blog". blog.wolfram.com. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
- ^ "Six Reasons Why the Wolfram Language Is (Like) Open Source—Wolfram Blog". blog.wolfram.com. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
External links
edit
- Official website
- Mathematica Documentation Center
- A little bit of Mathematica history documenting the growth of code base and number of functions over time