I mentioned the demise of Axiom on this list as it seemed like some might find it an interesting event if only for historical reasons. Tim
It is absolutely that. But one possibility for software is the chance (not necessarily huge, but still there) of a Phoenix Event where a new piece of work emerges from what may have looked like mere charred remains of the previous one. If a small group from a younger generation started from what you have now they might have different priorities from yours, but one might hope that the literate style you have got things on might make it easier for them to get going than would otherwise be the case. A "30 year horizon" surely involves a project being reinvented and reforged anew and in legend the new players are typically not just ones who have been easy epprentices of the old master!
So having a reasonably definitive "here lies" archive with at least workable build scripts and pointers to the easier tasks that a hypothetical keen new generation could cut their teel on would be good.
I mostly look after Reduce these days. You have described the sort of stuff I do in terms of "product" but I do not think that way - I think in terms of "service" so that those whose research (or develpment!) is in physics or engineering etc can use Reduce as a tool. So I get a research-buzz second hand if you like. But as regards "dead" projects I note that Albert Rich had been working on a pretty individual project where the concept was to see how much of computer algebra could be expressed as rewrite rules (rather than in imperative style). You do not need agree that this was going to succeed - just that he spent much time on it. He died a year ago. There is a sensible snapshot of his "RUBI" indefinite integration stuff and it is a snapshot not a perfact version since he expired while still working! But I (among others) have been having a go at reviving it in ways that are not at all all in the direction he was working. RUBI is a lot smaller than Axiom but maybe somebody will be able to pluck a component from Axiom for good use elsewhere. And again if they do it will be a really interesting test of the literate philosophy to see how that helps them!
Regards Arthur (from ages ago when Axiom was shipped by NAG)
