Eric Weisstein

Wolfram|Alpha

Computable data, mathematics, and digital libraries in Mathematica and Wolfram|Alpha

This talk will focus on the infrastructure developed for representing and accessing data (especially mathematical data) in Wolfram|Alpha and the technology and language extensions developed in the most recent version of Mathematica for making it even more computationally accessible. Wolfram|Alpha contains hand-curated data sets taken from hundreds of technological, scientific, sociological, and other domains, including a core set of mathematical domains (finite groups, graphs, plane curves, ...) which continue to be accessible either directly via the free website or through its API. More recently, a large portion of this information has been exposed through the Wolfram Language itself via a set of built-in functions centered around an entity-property approach. The technology developed for Wolfram|Alpha has also recently been extended with the help of funding from the Sloan and Wolfram Foundations to create a prototype digital mathematics library covering known results and identities in the specific area of continued fractions. A 2014 US National Research Council report has identified approaches it believes could enable the creation of a substantial digital mathematics library, and we are currently investigating partnerships and technologies that could help turn this ambitious dream into a reality.