Parameterization of the Environment for Transportable Numerical Software

Abstract

An early draft of this note was used as a discussion document during the first meeting of the IFIP Working Group on Numerical Software (WG 2.5) in Oxford in January 1975. The meeting requested a precise specification of the purpose of the note and suggested a number of other improvements which led to a second draft. Written comment led to further changes. A third draft was discussed during a workshop on transportable numerical software in the Applied Mathematics Division of the Argonne National Laboratory in August 1975. A fourth draft was written in January 1976 and distributed widely for comment and criticism. Discussion at the NSF/ERDA workshop on portability of numerical software and at the second meeting of the IFIP WG 2.5 (both in June 1976), together with correspondence from other parties led to the preparation of the present document. Although some of the comment was contradictory, it is our belief that this final document represents a consensus view.