SageMath

SageMath is a special computer tool that helps with many kinds of mathematics. It can do things like algebra, study shapes, and work with numbers and data.

The first version of SageMath came out on February 24, 2005. It was made to be free for anyone to use and change, just like other popular math tools such as Magma, Maple, Mathematica, and MATLAB. A mathematician named William Stein started SageMath when he worked at the University of Washington.

SageMath works in a way that is similar to the Python computer language. This makes it easier for people to write and understand the commands they use to solve math problems.

Development

SageMath was made by joining many free math tools written in different languages like C, C++, Common Lisp, Fortran, and Python. Instead of building everything new, SageMath connects these tools so users just need to know Python to use them.

SageMath now has many thousands of lines of new code that add extra features and help link all the parts together. Both students and professionals help make SageMath better, with support from volunteers and funding. In 2016, the first full-time developer was hired with money from the European Union.

Achievements

SageMath has won awards for its work. In 2007, it won first prize in the scientific software division of Les Trophées du Libre. In 2012, it was chosen for the Google Summer of Code. In 2013, it received the ACM/SIGSAM Jenks Prize.

Licensing and availability

SageMath is free software and can be used and shared because it follows the rules of the GNU General Public License version 3.

On Windows, you need a special tool called the Windows Subsystem for Linux to run SageMath. Many Linux computers already have SageMath available through their software packages, like Arch Linux, Debian, Guix, Ubuntu, and NixOS. Some other Linux types can also use SageMath with extra steps.

Software packages contained in SageMath

SageMath uses open-source libraries that are already made. This means it includes many tools from other projects to help with different kinds of math.