     [file version.texi not included]

NEWS in SINGULAR::PLURAL VERSION
********************************

The current version VERSION is the second pre-release of the upcoming release series version 2-1. Therefore, some command names are still subject to change.

Singular::Plural version 2-1 is generally much faster than any previous experimental version of Singular::Plural, due to a rewrite of major parts of the Singular kernel (e.g., the kernel has a new memory manager and a new polynomial arithmetic) and due to new and better implemented algorithms (e.g., for two-sided Groebner bases and generally, for computations in factor algebras).

Besides theses internal changes, Singular::Plural version 2-1 offers many new features and functionalities.

Efficiency Improvements
=======================

The following table shows some timings which compare the efficincy of Singular:Plural version 0-9-9 and Singular version 2-1-2. All times are in seconds and were obtained on HP 160 workstation with 512 MB RAM running HP-UX 10.20.

Example   0-9   2-1   Speedup

AnnFD-sl2-4   3.34         0.92      3.6
TwoGB-g2-3    24577        165        149
ucha4         12.9         8.5        1.5
ucha2         44.3 hrs   9 hrs    4.9

(Commutative) Factorizing algorithms revisited
==============================================

Starting with version 2-0-4, we use NTL (of Victor Shoup) for factoring univariate polynomials. The multivariate factoring code in libfac/factory does now also work over algebraic extension fields.

General Changes
===============

Emacs user interface
     the recommended interface for using SINGULAR::PLURAL

EPlural
     new program for an out-of-the-box, pre-customized Emacs which runs Plural

The online help system
     choose in which browser the on-line help is displayed;

     wildcard expansion of help topics

     new layout of html manual pages

Source code debugger
     interactive debugging of procedures written in the SINGULAR language

http://www.singular.uni-kl.de/plural
     New WWW home-site of PLURAL

SINGULAR::PLURAL libraries
==========================

lieA_lib Plural definitions of several series of enveloping algebras of simple Lie algebras

Internal Changes
================

new data structures for monomials and polynomials
     Makes polynomial arithmetic significantly faster: Especially for block - or weighted orderings. Bucket representation of polynomials in std and NF; Ring change during std-related computations (resulting in more speed and less space consumption).

new memory management
     Results is less memory usage, faster memory allocation/free, less fragmentation, much better locality of reference.