JLAPACK - Compiling LAPACK Fortran to Java, Phase 1

The JLAPACK project will provide the LAPACK numerical subroutines translated from their subset Fortran 77 source into class files, executable by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and suitable for use by Java programmers. This makes it possible for a Java application or applet, distributed on the World Wide Web (WWW) to use established legacy numerical code that was originally written in Fortran. The translation is accomplished using a special purpose Fortran-to-Java compiler. This interim report describes the research issues involved in the JLAPACK project, and its current implementation and status. 1 Introduction Real programmers program in Fortran, and can do so in any language. ---Ian Graham, 1994 [1] Popular opinion seems to hold the somewhat erroneous view that Java is "too slow" for numerical programming. However, the Java Linpack benchmark (http://www.netlib.org/benchmark/linpackjava/) has recorded excellent floating point arithmetic speeds (43.5 Mflop) on a PC resulting from Ju..