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I have a soft question. I currently study abstract math which includes group theory. On the other hand, I have strong background in c++, data structures etc. So, most of the time I end up with an algorithm or a computer code which mimics or implements a specific problem in group theory.

I am pretty sure that for the specific groups I am working on, these algorithms(and maybe nested data structures) have not been published or known. Also, sometimes I see papers which uses gap. So, my question is :

Can I publish these c++ codes somehow? What is the criteria to publish an algorithm which doesn't solve an open problem but helps people understand the problem? Can you provide me essays or examples about this topic?

Thank you very much.

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    Use Ada not C++.2011-04-24

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There has been a lot of work in Computational group theory. You should definitely check the literature. Anyway, having a real program is fine, but the real contribution are in algorithms. So you can publish a paper describing an algorithm, but you should publish the code elsewhere, e.g., in the web.

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    Journals often allow for code to be published as an appendix. Some even require it.2011-04-14
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    @Raskolnikov, sure, but probably only when it's short. I haven't seen a complete C++ program published in a math paper for a while now. I did it once, but it was two pages only. Also, you're much better off publishing a URL than freezing the code in print.2011-04-14
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    Are there any "fundamental" papers which discusses basic algorithms and problems of automatic groups and groups generated by automata? Thank you.2011-04-14
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    Check out "kbmag" by Derek Holt (and its associated papers). Also check out "maf" by Alun Williams (no papers).2011-04-14
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    @lhf: Haha, two pages is long in my book, but then again, I'm not a programmer. ;)2011-04-14
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    @Raskolnikov, it was more like 1.5 page, but yeah.2011-04-15
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GAP has a formal review process, and also accepts contributions that have not been reviewed. See http://turnbull.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~gap/Packages/packages.html for an overview, and http://turnbull.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~gap/Contacts/submit.html for more specifics.

I think the GAP folks would be friendly and welcoming of your contributions. In my (limited) experience it can be a lot of work to turn a working implementation into code that is documented, conforms to API standards, and that plays nicely with others' code, but it is worth it.