Computer algebra system

General-purpose computer algebra systems aim to be useful to a user working in any scientific field that requires manipulation of mathematical expressions.

To be useful, a general-purpose computer algebra system must include various features such as: The library must not only provide for the needs of the users, but also the needs of the simplifier.

For example, the computation of polynomial greatest common divisors is systematically used for the simplification of expressions involving fractions.

Computer algebra systems began to appear in the 1960s and evolved out of two quite different sources—the requirements of theoretical physicists and research into artificial intelligence.

Using Lisp as the programming basis, Carl Engelman created MATHLAB in 1964 at MITRE within an artificial-intelligence research environment.

The movement to web-based applications in the early 2000s saw the release of WolframAlpha, an online search engine and CAS which includes the capabilities of Mathematica.

The primary reason for such advocacy is that computer algebra systems represent real-world math more than do paper-and-pencil or hand calculator based mathematics.

The companies that develop computer algebra systems have pushed to increase their prevalence among university and college programs.