@comment -*-texinfo-*-
@comment this file contains the News about Singular versions
@comment Unix
@ifclear VERSION
@include version.texi
@end ifclear

@majorheading NEWS in SINGULAR @value{VERSION}

@ifclear singularmanual
@macro nref{what}
\what\
@end macro
@end ifclear

@ifset singularmanual
@macro nref{what}
@ref{\what\}
@end macro
@end ifset

@heading News for version @value{VERSION}

Version 4-0-0 is a milestone relase of Singular.
The new release series 4 aims for an entirely modularized system
simplifying connectivity with other systems and paving the way
for parallel computations.
As one step in this direction, in Singular 4-0-0, 
the representation of coefficient rings has been separated from the representation
of polynomials which allows for easy integration of new types of coefficient fields.

@sc{Singular} 4-0-0's list of improvements and new
functionality further extends that of 
the 3-1-6/7 pre-release series.
One highlight is the implementation
of Walther's algorithm for computing deRham cohomology.

New commands
@itemize
@item @nref{sba}: an F5 like Groebner basis algorithm
@item @nref{ASSUME}: support for debugging libraries
@end itemize

New libraries
@itemize
@item @nref{classifyci_lib}: Isolated complete intersection singularities in characteristic  0
@item @nref{derham_lib}: Computation of deRham cohomology
@item @nref{ellipticcovers_lib}: Gromov Witten numbers of elliptic curves
@item @nref{orbitparam_lib}: Parametrizing unipotent orbits
@end itemize

Improved libraries
@itemize @bullet
@item
Compute GIT-fans: (@nref{gitfan_lib})
@item
Groebner Cover for parametric ideals (@nref{grobcov_lib})
@item
Normalization of Affine Rings (@nref{normal_lib})
@item
An abstraction layer for parallel skeletons (@nref{parallel_lib})
@item
Classification of real singularities (@nref{realclassify_lib})
@item
and many more with small fixes
@end itemize

Kernel improvements
@itemize
@item
@nref{Dynamic modules}
@item
@nref{Non-commutative subsystem}
@item
name spaces (@nref{package})
@item
algebraic/transcendental field extensions
@end itemize

Availability

@sc{Singular} is available for ix86-Linux,
SunOS-5, ix86-Win (runs on Windows),
FreeBSD, Mac OS X, x86_64-Linux (AMD64/Opteron/EM64T),
IA64-Linux