Object-oriented mathematical programming and symbolic/numeric interface

The Axiom language is based on the notions of “categories”, “domains” and “packages”. These concepts are used to build an interface between symbolic and numeric calculations. In particular, an interface to the NAG Fortran Library and Axiom's algebra and graphics facilities is presented. Some examples of numerical calculations in a symbolic computational environment are also included using the finite element method. While the examples are elementary, we believe that they point to very powerful methods for combining numeric and symbolic computational techniques.