The Maple computer algebra system is described, with brief sample sessions given. The authors point out that Maple is distinguished from other computer algebra systems by its compactness, portability, and user extensibility. Currently, it is being distributed for a variety of mainframe computers and microsystems. The linear algebra package is very briefly described, and a reader wanting full details is referred to the Maple User’s Guide.

As Maple is an ongoing project, some of the projects mentioned as being under development in 1985 may well have reached fruition. These developments include a graphics package, automatic translation of Maple code into FORTRAN code, tensor manipulation, and group theory packages.