Editing Maple (software) (section)

==History==
The first concept of Maple arose from a meeting in late 1980 at the [[University of Waterloo]].<ref name="MacCallum2018">{{cite journal|last1=MacCallum|first1=Malcolm A. H.|title=Computer algebra in gravity research|journal=Living Reviews in Relativity|volume=21|issue=1|year=2018|page=6|issn=2367-3613|doi=10.1007/s41114-018-0015-6|pmid=30174551|pmc=6105178|bibcode=2018LRR....21....6M |doi-access=free}}</ref> Researchers at the university wished to purchase a computer powerful enough to run the [[Lisp (programming language)|Lisp-based]] computer algebra system [[Macsyma]]. Instead, they opted to develop their own computer algebra system, named Maple, that would run on lower cost computers. Aiming for portability, they began writing Maple in programming languages from the [[BCPL]] family (initially using a subset of [[B (programming language)|B]] and [[C (programming language)|C]], and later on only C).<ref name="MacCallum2018"/> A first limited version appeared after three weeks, and fuller versions entered mainstream use beginning in 1982.<ref name="Walz1998">{{cite web|url=http://zakuski.math.utsa.edu/~gokhman/ftp/mirrors/maple/mplhist.htm|title=History of Maple|date=1998-12-15|access-date=2020-04-06}}</ref> By the end of 1983, over 50 universities had copies of Maple installed on their machines.{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}

In 1984, the research group arranged with [[Watcom|Watcom Products Inc]] to license and distribute the first commercially available version, Maple 3.3.<ref name="Walz1998"/> In 1988 [[Waterloo Maple Inc.]] (Maplesoft) was founded. The company's original goal was to manage the distribution of the software, but eventually it grew to have its own R&D department, where most of Maple's development takes place today (the remainder being done at various university laboratories<ref>Two such university labs are the [https://www.scg.uwaterloo.ca/ Symbolic Computation Group] at the [[University of Waterloo]] and the [http://www.orcca.on.ca/ Ontario Research Centre for Computer Algebra] at the [[University of Western Ontario]]</ref>).

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Maple morphos.png|thumb|300px|Maple V Release 3 for [[Amiga]] (1995), running under [[MorphOS]] ]] -->
In 1989, the first graphical user interface for Maple was developed and included with version 4.3 for the [[Macintosh]]. X11 and Windows versions of the new interface followed in 1990 with Maple V. In 1992, Maple V Release 2 introduced the Maple "worksheet" that combined text, graphics, and input and typeset output.<ref>[http://www.maplesoft.com/support/help/Maple/view.aspx?path=updates/v52 Maple V Release 2 Notes] Maplesoft</ref> In 1994 a special issue of a newsletter created by Maple developers called ''MapleTech'' was published.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/maple/www/plibrary/mtn/mtn-si94.html|title=MTN Special Issue 1994|website=web.mit.edu}}</ref>

In 1999, with the release of Maple 6, Maple included some of the [[NAG Numerical Libraries]].<ref>[http://www.macworld.com/article/1870/2001/02/21reviewsmaple.html Maple 6.0] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618032934/http://www.macworld.com/article/1870/2001/02/21reviewsmaple.html |date=2008-06-18 }} Macworld, Feb 2001</ref>  In 2003, the current "standard" interface was introduced with Maple 9. This interface is primarily written in [[Java (programming language)|Java]] (although portions, such as the rules for typesetting mathematical formulae, are written in the Maple language). The Java interface was criticized for being slow;<ref>[http://www.scientific-computing.com/scwoctnov05review.html Capturing knowledge with pure maths], Scientific Computing World.</ref> improvements have been made in later versions, although the Maple&nbsp;11 documentation<ref>[http://www.maplesoft.com/documentation_center/maple11/Install.html Maple 11 Installation Guide] Maplesoft</ref> recommends the previous ("classic") interface for users with less than 500&nbsp;MB of physical memory.

Between 1995 and 2005 Maple lost significant market share to competitors due to a weaker user interface.<ref>[http://history.siam.org/oralhistories/gonnet.htm Interview with Gaston Gonnet, co-creator of Maple] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229044836/http://history.siam.org/oralhistories/gonnet.htm |date=2007-12-29 }}, SIAM History of Numerical Analysis and Computing, 16 March 2005</ref> With Maple 10 in 2005, Maple introduced a new "document mode" interface, which has since been further developed across several releases.

In September 2009 Maple and Maplesoft were acquired by the Japanese software retailer [[Cybernet Systems]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maplesoft.com/company/news/releases/2009/2009-07-30-cybernet-systems-co-ltd-to-acquire-maple.aspx|title=Maplesoft Media Releases|website=www.maplesoft.com}}</ref>