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Converting to IMSL Edition 10

On January 4, 1988 the ECN converted to Edition 10.0 of the International Mathematical and Statistical Libraries IMSL on its VAX and Gould computers. Presently, IMSL 9.2 is installed on these machines. If and when the Sun workstations are licensed for IMSL they will also be operating under Edition 10.0. The Purdue University Computer Center has already converted to Edition 10.0 on its IBM and Cyber machines, and will be removing the Edition 9.2 library from service at the end of 1987.

With Edition 10.0, the IMSL has evolved into three separate but coordinated libraries whose capabilities substantially surpass those of the Edition 9.2 library. The new libraries are called MATH/LIBRARY Version 1.0, STAT/LIBRARY Version 1.0, and SFUN/LIBRARY Version 2.0. Together, these libraries contain nearly 800 user-callable subprograms. Including double-precision and complex versions, there are nearly 1500 user-callable routines which provide more than 150 new areas of functionality compared to the Edition 9.2 release. Features of the Edition 10.0 library update include:

• A new subprogram naming convention has been introduced. Designed to make routine names more descriptive and mnemonic, it also conforms to widely accepted FORTRAN naming conventions. You will find that the new naming convention simplifies identifying and using routines, and will allow reference to different precision versions of a routine in the same program.
• BLAS (Basic Linear Algebra Srograms), carefully coded to enhance speed and accuracy, have been extensively used in the implementation of vector/matrix operations.
• Substantial enhancements have been made to facilitate unobtrusive error handling. Although the ability to exercise program control in error conditions has been retained, automatic error handling provides informative messages, and program termination based on user-selected severity levels.
• The introduction of automatic workspace allocation means users no longer are required to calculate workspace requirements or allocate workspace variables. This important new feature greatly simplifies usage, and virtually eliminates problem-size dependencies and errors resulting from inadequate allocation specification.
• IMSL has also been improved in both form and content. Typesetting has made the documentation significantly more readable, and ease of use has been enhanced by the inclusion of three index methods. Also new with this update are pocket-sized quick-reference booklets and unabridged soft- cover editions of the user's manuals.
• MATH/LIBRARY features major enhancements in the areas of numerical mathematics, particularly in optimization, quadrature, linear systems, and interpolation.
• STAT/LIBRARY srograms have been revised to allow the printing of results and the specification of weights and frequencies. These srograms efficiently handle missing values and reflect numerous advances in algorithms.
• Version 2.0 of SFUN/LIBRARY, provided with this update, now includes all of the special-functions routines from Edition 1.0 of SFUN/LIBRARY, as well as the capabilities previously available in Chapter M of the Edition 9.2 IMSL. This combination and the addition of several new functions make Version 2.0 of the SFUN/LIBRARY a powerful component of the new IMSL.

Your site specialist has the document ECN #160 Converting to IMSL Edition 10.0 outlining important upgrades. The ECN will offer a short course on Monday, January 18th in EE 117 at 12:30 explaining user adjustments necessary to be compatible with IMSL 10.0.

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