Richard Dimick Jenks
Memorial Prize
2004 Award
A check for US$1,000 and the above plaque was presented to the
SINGULAR research
team by Dr. Barry Trager at the 2004 ISSAC Symposium in Santander, Spain, on July
6, 2004. Dr. Hans Schönemann accepted the prize on behalf of the SINGULAR team.
The
SINGULAR research group is under the overall direction of Prof. Dr.
Gert-Martin Greuel, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Pfister, and Dr. Schönemann.
SINGULAR is a specialized computer algebra system for polynomial computations.
The main stimulus for the system comes from research problems in algebraic
geometry, commutative algebra, and singularity theory and also from
applications like microelectronic circuit design and more recently from
system and control theory. Implementations of
Gröbner basis-type algorithms play a key role in the system. Both binaries
and source code for the system are available free under the GPL license.
A respected scientist from the USA wrote the following in support of the
SINGULAR nomination:
"I have been using SINGULAR for serious polynomial
manipulations since 1996.
...
Singular is not hard to use, the C-like syntax enables rank amateurs like myself
to write complicated yet transparent code without a knowledge of the finer
points of computer programming or data structures. Its excellent on-line manual
removes the fear of using new parts of the package.
...
Certainly the Singular Team, or other letter writers will tell you about the
internal reasons that Singular is a great piece of symbolic computing software.
My perspective as a user should tell you that it passes the most important (and
perhaps hardest) test: Is the software sufficiently easy to use, well-designed
and versatile enough for others to choose to use it in their work. In my
perspective, it is at the head of its class by this measure."
SINGULAR has many worthy attributes, but so did a number of the other
software packages that were nominated for the Prize. The Prize
Committee was delighted by the quality of the nominees, and
consequently the choice of the winner was not straightforward. It will be a
pleasure to see some of the other deserving nominees win the prize in the
future.