Wolfram (software) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wolfram

Developer(s)	Wolfram Research
Initial release	June 23, 1988; 37 years ago (1988-06-23)
Written in	Wolfram Language, C/C++, Java
Platform	Windows, macOS, Linux (includes separated support for Raspbian on Raspberry Pi), online service. All platforms support 64-bit implementations. (list)
Available in	English, Chinese, Japanese
Type	Computer algebra, numerical computations, information visualization, statistics, user interface creation
License	Proprietary

Wolfram (also known as Mathematica) is a powerful computer program. It helps people do many things with computers, like solving math problems, working with data, and even creating cool graphics. It's like a super-smart assistant for science, engineering, and many other fields.

This software has built-in tools for things like machine learning (where computers learn from data), statistics, and understanding natural language. It can also help you make graphs, build algorithms (step-by-step instructions for computers), and design user interfaces (what you see and click on a screen).

Wolfram was created by Stephen Wolfram and is developed by his company, Wolfram Research, located in Illinois, USA. The main language used to program in Wolfram is called the Wolfram Language. The first version of Mathematica came out on June 23, 1988.

How Wolfram Works

Wolfram is made of two main parts: the kernel and the front end.

• The kernel is like the brain of the program. It understands the commands you give it (written in Wolfram Language) and figures out the answers.
• The front end is what you see on your screen. It displays the results from the kernel and lets you type in your commands.

The Notebook Interface

The main way you interact with Wolfram is through something called a notebook interface. Think of it like a digital notebook. You can write down your code, add regular text notes, insert pictures, and even include graphs and charts all in one place. This makes it easy to organize your work and share it with others.

The first notebook interface was designed by Theodore Gray in 1988. Today, you can also use Wolfram with other programming tools like Eclipse or Visual Studio Code. There's even a way to use it from a command line, which is a text-based way to control your computer.

Powerful Computing Features

Wolfram is designed to handle very complex and large calculations quickly.

Handling Big Numbers and Data

Over the years, Wolfram has added features to make it even faster. For example, in 1999, it got "packed arrays" to store data more efficiently. In 2003, it added "sparse matrices" for working with data that has many empty spots. It also uses special libraries to do math with very high precision.

Using Multiple Processors

Since 2005, Wolfram can automatically use multiple parts of your computer's processor (called "cores") to do calculations faster. This is like having several people work on different parts of a big puzzle at the same time. It also supports special hardware that helps speed up calculations.

Parallel Computing and GPUs

In 2002, a feature called gridMathematica was introduced. This allowed people to use many computers working together to solve huge problems. By 2008, this ability to do "parallel computing" was included in all Wolfram licenses. Later, in 2010, Wolfram added support for GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), which are special computer chips that are great at doing many calculations at once, especially for graphics and machine learning.

Expanding What Wolfram Can Do

Wolfram is always growing! As of 2025, the Wolfram Language has over 6,600 built-in functions and symbols. These are like pre-made tools that you can use in your programs.

Community Contributions

In 2019, Stephen Wolfram started the Wolfram Function Repository. This is a place where people who use Wolfram can share their own new functions and tools with everyone else. There's also a Wolfram Data Repository for useful information and a Wolfram Neural Net Repository for machine learning models.

Wolfram also includes special packages, like Combinatorica, which adds tools for discrete mathematics, such as working with combinations and graphs.

Connecting with Other Programs

Wolfram can talk to many other computer programs and services.

How Programs Talk to Each Other

Wolfram uses a special language called Wolfram Symbolic Transfer Protocol (WSTP) to communicate. This allows the Wolfram kernel to connect with its front end and also with other applications.

Wolfram Research provides tools for developers to link programs written in languages like C or Java to the Wolfram kernel. This means a Java program, for example, can ask Wolfram to do a calculation for it. Similar tools exist for .NET programs.

Wolfram can also connect with many other programming languages, including Python, Haskell, and Racket.

Working with Models and Data

Wolfram supports creating and running Modelica models, which are used for designing and simulating complex systems. It also connects with Wolfram SystemModeler.

The program can get real-time data from different sources. It can even read and write information to public blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Wolfram is very good at handling different types of files. It can import and export over 220 different formats for data, images, videos, sounds, and more. This includes files for computer-aided design (CAD) and geographic information systems (GIS).

In 2019, Wolfram added support for compiling Wolfram Language code to LLVM, which helps make programs run even faster. More recently, in 2022, Wolfram Language added support for Arduino, which are small, easy-to-use computer boards often used in robotics and electronics projects.

Smart Data Inside Wolfram

Wolfram is connected to Wolfram Alpha, which is an online "answer engine." This means that if you're using Wolfram with an internet connection, you can access lots of extra data that is kept up-to-date in real time. This data includes information about astronomy, chemistry, geography, languages, and even weather, along with tons of mathematical data.

See also

In Spanish: Mathematica para niños