Subsections

3. Frequently Asked Questions

3.1 What are the longterm goals for SAGE?

Because SAGE is a new system, we begin by explaining the main longterm goals for SAGE. These have not all been attained, though authors have done much since work on SAGE started in 2004.

3.2 Why Python?

There are pros and cons.

3.2.1 Advantages to python

The primary implementation language of SAGE is Python (see [Py]), though code that must be fast is implemented in a compiled language. Using Python has several advantages:


3.2.2 How Some Python Annoyances are Resolved in SAGE

People who do research mathematics and use Python often run into a few problems:

Rather than writing a new language, we use the Python language exactly as is, and write a pre-parser for IPython so that the command line behavior of IPython is what a mathematician expects. However, one must still obey the standard Python rules when writing packages that will be imported into SAGE.

3.3 I would like to contribute somehow. How can I?

If you would like to contribute to SAGE, your help will be greatly appreciated! It can range from code to simply adding a section or two to the SAGE reference manual. Just email William Stein at wstein@ucsd.edu and see the SAGE website, where there is a long list of SAGE-related projects ordered by priority and category.

3.4 How do I reference SAGE?

If you write a paper using SAGE, please reference computations done with SAGE by including [SJ] in your bibliography.

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If you happen to have just read straight through this tutorial, and have some sense of how long it took you, please let me know (email wstein@ucsd.edu).

Have fun with SAGE!

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