[Axiom-developer] static vs dynamic typing

[daly]

I don't believe that the issue is types at all, neither static
nor dynamic types. After all, lisp is dynamically typed and spad
lives on top of it (static types). The issue is the choice of types
and their possible interactions.

I believe that Axiom is mildly unique in the CAS world because
the type (category, domain) hierarchy attempts to mirror the
mathematical structures. I believe that this gives Axiom a
pre-existing design scaffold which should allow it to grow in
linear complexity as it grows linearly in size.

Designs (or lack thereof) that do not mirror the mathematical
hierarchy have nonlinear interactions that eventually limit
their size and complexity. Maple and MMA programs tend to suffer
this kind of pain when they start mixing user packages.

That's not to say that Axiom gets it right, but at least it tries.


Tim