SageMath and Macaulay2 - An Open Source Initiative

Workshop

This meeting will bring together developers from the Macaulay2 and Sage communities to discuss, design, and implement new algorithms and computational tools that will be of use to scientists and industry professionals. All software developed during the workshop will be made freely available as part of the open-source mathematics software systems Macaulay2 and Sage. Themes of the workshop include algebraic geometry, commutative algebra, representation theory, combinatorics, and optimization. The workshop will include talks on target features and the logistics of Macaulay2 and Sage development, as well as working groups on a variety of participant-driven themes. Request for funding to attend the workshop will be considered starting on Friday, May 3.

Coding Sprint Information (Outside of the Main Workshop Dates)

Coding sprints are designed for teams 2-8 participants to spend 3-5 days at the IMA.  Applicants should then complete a short online application and email a 1-2 page proposal to coding-sprints@ima.umn.edu. The proposal should include a description of the design proposals for any code to be written and how the potential functions of the code or materials to be developed will impact researchers in academia and industry and/or educators. Proposals should discuss prior history of related code in SageMath, Macaulay2, or other open-source software, and a brief description of the relevant mathematical and coding background of the proposers.

Interested applicants are encouraged to initiate a ticket for their code (or find an existing one) on the Sage Math trac server or on Github. This ticket number or a link to the ticket should be included in the short online application and in the proposal. (Proof-of-concept code is not necessary at this stage, but welcome.) This will allow developers and users to comment on proposed changes and is the first, important step in the git workflow.

Please note only one participant of the coding sprint team needs to fill out the online application and submit the proposal to coding-sprints@ima.umn.edu. The submitted proposal should include name, affiliation, and email address of all collaborators. 

Selection Process

Each proposal will be evaluated by the scientific board according to the following three criteria:

1. Effectiveness – does the proposed functionality successfully address an important development opportunity in Sage or Macaulay2?
2. Feasibility – can sufficient progress be made on the proposed functionality during the coding sprint?
3. Interest from the community – is there a pressing need for the code?

Deadlines

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis according to the following schedule:

• December 1, 2018: Deadline for initial round of decisions, sprints must occur after Feb. 1, 2019 (Notification by January 2, 2019)
• March 1, 2019: Deadline for second round of decisions, sprints must occur after May 1 (Notification by April 1)
• May 1, 2019: Deadline for third round of decisions, sprints must occur after July 1 (Notification by June 1)
• August 1, 2019: Final deadline for coding sprint applications, sprints to occur after October 1 (Notification by September 1)
• December 1, 2019: Final deadline for coding sprint applications, sprints to occur after February 1. (Notification by January 1, 2020)

Please contact the organizers with additional inquiries.