[GAP Forum] SPECHT - now that GAP3 is long in the tooth.

[Frank Lübeck]

On Fri, Aug 05, 2005 at 11:59:26AM +0100, Dr Andrew C Aitchison wrote:
> 
> I've been asked to install SPECHT, and hence GAP3.
> Since GAP3 is no longer supported and we have been using GAP4 for years,
> I'm reluctant to make GAP3 available again. I'm particularly worried
> about people getting wrong answers from it, although I guess that in
> many cases the result can be verified independently once found.
> 
> My instinct is to point the user at a way of solving her problem
> in GAP4 rather than enabling her to use GAP3.
> 
> Comments ?

Dear Dr. Aitchison, dear Forum,

It is true that GAP 4 contains a lot of new or improved functionality
compared to GAP 3. Problems which can be handled with both versions are
often better done with GAP 4.

Nevertheless, there exists code written for GAP 3 which is still used 
and still working well - for example SPECHT. (Creating a version for 
GAP 4 would be a major task with little benefit.)

I'm still using GAP 3 a lot and I'm not aware of any serious bug.
So, I recommend to install GAP 3 on your system if you have a user who wants
to use GAP 3 programs. 

By the way, on my web page I provide an archive which makes the installation
of GAP 3 (including SPECHT 2.4) somewhat easier than following the "official"
installation instructions:
  http://www.math.rwth-aachen.de:8001/~Frank.Luebeck/gap/GAP3

With best regards,

   Frank Luebeck


-- 
///  Dr. Frank Lübeck, Lehrstuhl D für Mathematik, Templergraben 64,  ///
\\\                    52062 Aachen, Germany                          \\\
///  E-mail: Frank.Luebeck at Math.RWTH-Aachen.De                        ///
\\\  WWW:    http://www.math.rwth-aachen.de/~Frank.Luebeck/           \\\