# HG changeset patch # User Kai T. Ohlhus # Date 1594183109 -32400 # Node ID 52a48083f2699a30a4232df111c4ea16801faea0 # Parent 831b4032bfbcfc4305f2edda331d99fb7b35abc4 Overhaul About page with minor content changes. diff -r 831b4032bfbc -r 52a48083f269 about.md --- a/about.md Wed Jul 08 13:25:41 2020 +0900 +++ b/about.md Wed Jul 08 13:38:29 2020 +0900 @@ -4,91 +4,92 @@ menu: true --- -GNU Octave is a high-level language, primarily intended -for numerical computations. It provides a convenient -command line interface for solving linear and nonlinear -problems numerically, and for performing other numerical -experiments using a language that is mostly compatible -with Matlab. It may also be used as a batch-oriented -language. +GNU Octave is a high-level language, primarily intended for numerical +computations. +It provides a convenient command line interface for solving linear and +nonlinear problems numerically, +and for performing other numerical experiments using a language that is mostly +compatible with Matlab. +It may also be used as a batch-oriented language. -Octave has extensive tools for solving common numerical -linear algebra problems, finding the roots of nonlinear -equations, integrating ordinary functions, manipulating -polynomials, and integrating ordinary differential and -differential-algebraic equations. It is easily -extensible and customizable via user-defined functions -written in Octave's own language, or using dynamically -loaded modules written in C++, C, Fortran, or other -languages. +Octave has extensive tools for solving common numerical linear algebra problems, +finding the roots of nonlinear equations, +integrating ordinary functions, +manipulating polynomials, +and integrating ordinary differential and differential-algebraic equations. +It is easily extensible and customizable via user-defined functions written in +Octave's own language, +or using dynamically loaded modules written in C++, C, Fortran, +or other languages. -GNU Octave is also freely redistributable software. You -may redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of -the [GNU General Public License (GPL)][1] as published by -the [Free Software Foundation][2]. +GNU Octave is also freely redistributable software. +You may redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the +[GNU General Public License (GPL)][GPL] as published by the +[Free Software Foundation](https://www.fsf.org/). -Octave was written by [John W. Eaton][3] and [many others][4]. -Because Octave is [free software][5] you are encouraged to help -make Octave more useful by writing and contributing additional -functions for it, and by reporting any problems you may have. - -[1]: https://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html -[2]: https://www.gnu.org/ -[3]: mailto:jwe@octave.org -[4]: https://hg.savannah.gnu.org/hgweb/octave/file/tip/doc/interpreter/contributors.in -[5]: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html - +Octave was written by [John W. Eaton](mailto:jwe@octave.org) and +[many others](https://hg.savannah.gnu.org/hgweb/octave/file/tip/doc/interpreter/contributors.in). +Because Octave is [free software](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html) you are encouraged to help make Octave +more useful by writing and contributing additional functions for it, +and by reporting any problems you may have. # History -Octave was originally conceived (in about 1988) to be companion -software for an undergraduate-level textbook on chemical reactor -design being written by James B. Rawlings of the University of -Wisconsin-Madison and John G. Ekerdt of the University of Texas. -We originally envisioned some very specialized tools for the solution -of chemical reactor design problems. Later, after seeing the -limitations of that approach, we opted to attempt to build a much more -flexible tool. +Octave was originally conceived (in about 1988) to be companion software for an +undergraduate-level textbook on chemical reactor design being written by James +B. Rawlings of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and John G. Ekerdt of the +University of Texas. +We originally envisioned some very specialized tools for the solution of +chemical reactor design problems. +Later, +after seeing the limitations of that approach, +we opted to attempt to build a much more flexible tool. -There were still some people who said that we should just be using -Fortran instead, because it is the computer language of engineering, -but every time we had tried that, the students spent far too much time -trying to figure out why their Fortran code failed and not enough time -learning about chemical engineering. We believed that with an -interactive environment like Octave, most students would be able to -pick up the basics quickly, and begin using it confidently in just a -few hours. - -Full-time development began in the Spring of 1992. The first alpha -release was January 4, 1993, and version 1.0 was released February 17, -1994. Since then, Octave has been through several major revisions, is -included with [Debian GNU/Linux][6], [openSUSE][7], and many other -GNU/Linux distributions. Octave was reviewed in the in the July, 1997 -issue of the [Linux Journal][8]. +There were still some people who said that we should just be using Fortran +instead, +because it is the computer language of engineering, +but every time we had tried that, +the students spent far too much time trying to figure out why their Fortran +code failed and not enough time learning about chemical engineering. +We believed that with an interactive environment like Octave, +most students would be able to pick up the basics quickly, +and begin using it confidently in just a few hours. -Clearly, Octave is now much more than just another courseware -package with limited utility beyond the classroom. Although our -initial goals were somewhat vague, we knew that we wanted to create -something that would enable students to solve realistic problems, and -that they could use for many things other than chemical reactor design -problems. Today, thousands of people worldwide are using Octave in -teaching, research, and commercial applications. +Full-time development began in the Spring of 1992. +The first alpha release was January 4, 1993, and version 1.0 was released +February 17, 1994. +Since then, Octave has been through several major revisions, +is included with [Debian GNU/Linux](https://www.debian.org/), +[openSUSE](https://www.opensuse.org/), +and many other GNU/Linux distributions. +Octave was reviewed in the in the July, 1997 issue of the +[Linux Journal](http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/1225). -Just about everyone thinks that the name Octave has something to do -with music, but it is actually the name of one of the author's former -professors who wrote a famous textbook on chemical reaction -engineering, and who was also well known for his ability to do quick -"back of the envelope" calculations. We hope that this software will -make it possible for many people to do more ambitious computations -just as easily. +Clearly, +Octave is now much more than just another courseware package with limited +utility beyond the classroom. +Although our initial goals were somewhat vague, +we knew that we wanted to create something that would enable students to solve +realistic problems, +and that they could use for many things other than chemical reactor design +problems. +Today, thousands of people worldwide are using Octave in teaching, +research, and commercial applications. -Everyone is encouraged to share this software with others under the -terms of the [GNU General Public License (GPL)][1]. You are also -encouraged to help make Octave more useful by writing and contributing -additional functions for it, and by reporting any problems you may -have. +Just about everyone thinks that the name Octave has something to do with music, +but it is actually the name of one of the author's former professor +[Octave Levenspiel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octave_Levenspiel) +who wrote a famous textbook on chemical reaction engineering, +and who was also well known for his ability to do quick "back of the envelope" +calculations. +We hope that this software will make it possible for many people to do more +ambitious computations just as easily. -[6]: https://www.debian.org/ -[7]: https://www.opensuse.org/ -[8]: http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/1225 +Everyone is encouraged to share this software with others under the terms of +the [GNU General Public License (GPL)][GPL]. +You are also encouraged to help make Octave more useful by writing and +contributing additional functions for it, +and by reporting any problems you may have. + +[GPL]: https://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html