2006/08/31 by Kasper Peeters · 2 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Database Systems and Queries #Logic, programming, and type systems #cs.SC #gr-qc #hep-th #semigroups and automata theory
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.cpc.2007.01.003
published as Comput.Phys.Commun.176:550-558,2007 · 14 pages; v2: several clarifications and references added, version as published
openalex publication_date 2007/01/26 · arxiv created 2007/06/12 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Field theory is an area in physics with a deceptively compact notation. Although general purpose computer algebra systems, built around generic list-based data structures, can be used to represent and manipulate field-theory expressions, this often leads to cumbersome input formats, unexpected side-effects, or the need for a lot of special-purpose code. This makes a direct translation of problems from paper to computer and back needlessly time-consuming and error-prone. A prototype computer algebra system is presented which features TeX-like input, graph data structures, lists with Young-tableaux symmetries and a multiple-inheritance property system. The usefulness of this approach is illustrated with a number of explicit field-theory problems.