source: git/doc/changes_in_singular4.texi @ d36c18

spielwiese
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1@comment this file contains the list of new features and difference between Singular 3.* and Singular 4.*
2
3The purpose of this section is to describe new features and changes
4between Singular 3-1-7 and Singular 4.* (formerly known as Spielwiese) both for developers
5and Singular users. In what follows we will refer to the systems as Singular 3 and Singular 4.
6
7@menu
8* Version schema for Singular::
9* Notes for Singular users::
10* Notes for developers::
11* Building Singular::
12@end menu
13
14@c ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
15@node Version schema for Singular, Notes for Singular users, , Singular 3 and Singular 4
16@subsection Version schema for Singular
17@cindex Version schema for Singular
18@cindex Version number
19
20@sc{Singular} version is of the form @code{a.b.c.d} which may also be written
21as @code{a-b-c-d} where a,b,c and d are numbers:
22@itemize
23@item a is changed with major, incompatible changes
24@item b is changed with incompatible changes (of some commands/libraries)
25@item c is changed with compatible changes (i.e. new commands,
26      extended options, new algorithms, etc.)
27@item d is changed with each release (i.e. with bug fixes, etc.)
28@end itemize
29@sc{Singular} does also have "unofficial" build orginating from
30a code version between "official" version: such builds display
31"Development version a.b.c" in the header while "official" versions
32show "version a.b.c". Also the manual describes version a-b-c.
33To get the complete version number, use
34@code{system("version");} or use @code{SINGULAR_VERSION} in C.
35
36@c ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
37@node Notes for Singular users, Notes for developers, Version schema for Singular, Singular 3 and Singular 4
38@subsection Notes for Singular users
39@cindex Notes for Singular users
40
41@subsubheading Coefficient rings
42@cindex Coefficient rings
43
44To allow for easy integration of new coefficient rings into Singular, the the way
45coefficient rings are being handled has been redesigned.
46
47In general, the user syntax has not changed, however there are some changes in the behaviour of Singular:
48
49@c table @asis
50@itemize @bullet
51@item setting @code{minpoly} results in changing the current coefficient domain
52and clears all previously defined varaiables of that ring
53
54@item Minor changes in the output of coefficient ring description. Moreover the output of elements of certain rings has been improved (for example, reals).
55
56@item Algebraic and transcendental extensions of rationals and finite fields
57      have been reimplemented. In particular, the heuristics for clearing denominators and factoring out content
58      have been changed. In some cases this leads to a different, mathematically equivalent results of Groebner
59      bases and related computations. For example a Groebner basis element may differ by a unit.
60
61@item Most noteably, due to the redesign of the coefficient rings, if the user sets the minimal polynomial
62      all variables dependent on the current ring are deleted.
63
64@end itemize
65@c @end table
66
67@subsubheading Ring-dependent options
68@cindex Ring-dependent options
69
70Formally global Singular @ref{option} now belong to individual polynomial rings. This includes:
71
72@c table @asis
73@itemize @bullet
74@item @code{intStrategy}
75@item @code{redTail}
76@item @code{redThrough}
77@end itemize
78@c @end table
79
80Also the following settings now belong to individual (currently active) polynomial rings:
81
82@c @item @code{degBound}
83@c @item @code{multBound}
84
85@c table @asis
86@itemize @bullet
87@item @code{short}
88@item @code{minpoly}
89@item @code{noether}
90@end itemize
91@c @end table
92
93
94Hence setting these options only affects the current ring. Be aware of this
95when switching between different rings, since the options affect the
96result of various computations (in particular Groebner bases).
97
98@subsubheading Path names
99@cindex Path names
100
101@c table @asis
102@itemize @bullet
103@item The tree structure of the binary Singular distribution has been changed.
104The typical tree now looks as show at @uref{https://github.com/Singular/Sources/wiki/Sw-tree}
105
106@item Accordingly Singular search paths (where Singular searches for libraries, dynamic modules, etc.) have been changed. You can display them by calling Singular by @code{Singular -v}.
107
108@item currently, multi-arch installations of Singular 4 aere not possible.
109@end itemize
110@c @end table
111
112@subsubheading Library versioning
113@cindex Library versioning
114
115Due to switching from Subversion to GIT revision control system for the Singular source code,
116library version variables (displayed when loading a library) have changed.
117
118
119@subsubheading New orderings for modules
120@cindex New orderings for modules
121
122The now can assign weights to module components, when defining a monomial ordering. For example
123@smallexample
124ring R = 0, (x,y,z), (am(1,2,3,   10,20,30,40), dp, C);
125deg(x*gen(1));
126@expansion{} 11
127@end smallexample
128
129will assign weights 1,2,3 to x,y,z respectively, and weights 10,20,30,40,0,0,... to
130components of any free module defined over R. This ordering will first sort
131by this weighted degree, then by dp on the ring monomials and then will give priority
132to the large component index.
133
134@subsubheading Future benefits of Singular 4
135@cindex Future benefits of Singular 4
136
137The redesign of Singular will allow us to provide new features in the future, for example:
138
139@c table @asis
140@itemize @bullet
141@item Interpreter type for coefficient rings.
142@item User defined coefficient rings.
143@item Improved syntax for defining polynomial rings.
144@end itemize
145@c @end table
146
147
148
149
150@c ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
151@node Notes for developers, Building Singular, Notes for Singular users, Singular 3 and Singular 4
152@subsection Notes for developers
153@cindex Notes for developers
154
155There has been an entensive process of refactoring, redesign and modularization
156of Singular to facilitate easier maintenance and future development:
157
158@c table @asis
159@itemize @bullet
160@item Build System : automake, libfac has been integrated into Factory
161@item Removed MP (Multi protocol) in favor of SSI links.
162@item Separation/modularization into libraries and packages
163@c add diagram as an image?
164@item For easy integration of new coeffcient rings,
165we defined a generic interface for coefficient
166rings and a supporting framework for making them
167accessible to the user.
168
169In particular we have separated everything related to coeffcient rings into a separate library @code{libcoeffs}.
170Dependency tree between restructured packages is show at @uref{https://www.singular.uni-kl.de/dox/singular.png}
171
172In order to use @code{libSingular} as a C++ library, see @ref{libSingular}.
173
174@end itemize
175@c @end table
176
177
178
179@c @subsubheading Changes to build system
180@c @cindex Changes to build system
181
182
183@c ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
184@node Building Singular, , Notes for developers, Singular 3 and Singular 4
185@subsection Building Singular
186@cindex Building Singular
187
188The user can build and install Singular with the following standard UNIX-like procedure:
189
190@c table @asis
191@itemize @bullet
192@item Download and extract the latest official source package (.tar.gz).
193@item Run the configure script, for instance, @code{./configure}.
194@item Build Singular by running @code{make}.
195@item Install Singular by running @code{make install}.
196@end itemize
197@c @end table
198
199In contrast to Singular 3, there are now many more configuration options.
200
201All possible options for configure can be seen by running the configure script with
202option @code{--help}. On a multicore compute consider running make with the
203option @code{-j [cores]}.
204
205@subsection Side-by-side installation
206
207Due to choosing paths according to FS standards it is no longer possible
208to have a side-by-side installation of different Singular versions or versions for different architectures.
209@c ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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