Re:Emacs Symbolic Integration
by TeMPOraL on Wednesday January 06, 2021 @05:18AM
(#25656340)
It's a bit like asking why Windows has a calculator :).
Emacs is best viewed a Lisp execution platform with a built-in text UI. Much like it has a "c++ app", "terminal app" and "compile this" app, it also ships with a "calc app" (literally called "calc"). Since it was being used by lot of mathy people for lot of mathy stuff, it ended up being a proper scientific calculator application.
(Also, Lisps are inherently friendly for doing any kind of symbolic calculations. A Lisp system is one of the least surprising places to find a symbolic integrator in.)
Emacs is best viewed a Lisp execution platform with a built-in text UI. Much like it has a "c++ app", "terminal app" and "compile this" app, it also ships with a "calc app" (literally called "calc"). Since it was being used by lot of mathy people for lot of mathy stuff, it ended up being a proper scientific calculator application.
(Also, Lisps are inherently friendly for doing any kind of symbolic calculations. A Lisp system is one of the least surprising places to find a symbolic integrator in.)