===================== SOFTWARE RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT ==========================

Nov 12, 2004:
Core Library Version 1.7 is now available for free download at

                 http://cs.nyu.edu/exact/core/

The Core Library (CORE) is a collection of C/C++ classes to support 
computation with real algebraic numbers (+,-,x,/,sqrt and rootOf), under a
variety of precision requirements.

Numerical nonrobustness is a widely acknowledged problem.  It has proven
particularly intractable in the context of geometric algorithms where
numerical data and combinatorial data are intermixed in a strongly constrained
manner.  Recent research in computational geometry has
demonstrated a variety of techniques based on the principles of
Exact Geometric Computation (EGC) that can address such problems.
A basic goal of our library is to make such techniques easily accessible to 
the wider community of programmers and researchers.

Basic CORE Features:
   -- ease of use:
        Any C/C++ programmer can write numerical or geometric
        code that are fully robust just by calling our Library.
   -- ease of migration:
        Many existing C/C++ programs can be converted into robust CORE
        programs with minimal effort.
   -- natural and novel numerical accuracy model:
        Users can choose and get the numerical accuracy that best fit
        their applications. 
   -- state of art technology:
        The precision-driven approach to EGC, best known root bounds,
        filter technology, etc, will be incorporated into the library
        as the field progresses.  In this way, the user's application program
        will automatically be upgraded (at the cost of re-compilation).
   -- small system:
        It can serve as the "robust core" of your own applications.
        The tarred gzipped file is 0.8MB (including source, extensions, demos)
        when gmp and documentation is not included.  
   -- well-tested on Sun Sparc, Linux, cygwin and Windows platforms.

What is new with CORE 1.7 ?
   -- Introduction of plane algebraic curves and bi-variate polynomials 
   -- An interactive version of Core Library based on Python
        (this has to be downloaded separately)
   -- Reorganized number classes with up to 20% speed improvement
   -- Enhancement of the univariate polynomial and real algebraic
        number facilities (GCD, resultant, square free part, etc)
   -- Compatibility with gmp 4.1.4, and gcc 3.4.
   -- Simple graphics facilities for curves
   -- Various bug fixes and improvements especially in Newton routines.

We welcome your comments and input.

-- Chee Yap (yap@cs.nyu.edu)
   Zilin Du (zilin@cs.nyu.edu)
   Vikram Sharma (sharma@cs.nyu.edu)
   Sylvain Pion (Sylvain.Pion@sophia.inria.fr)

                         |============================================= 
                         | Exact Computation Project
                         | Department of Computer Science
                         | Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
                         | New York University
                         | 251 Mercer Street
                         | New York, NY 10012, USA
                         | 
                         | For further information:
                         |    http://cs.nyu.edu/exact/
                         |    mailto://exact@cs.nyu.edu.
                         | 
                         | Supported by NSF/ITR Grant CCR-0082056 and
                         | NSF Grant CCF-0430836.
                         |============================================= 

===================== SOFTWARE RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT ==========================
