Wolfram Research facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Computer software, publishing, research and development |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Stephen Wolfram, Theodore Gray |
| Headquarters |
,
United States
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Key people
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| Products | Wolfram Mathematica, Wolfram Workbench, gridMathematica, webMathematica, Wolfram Alpha, SystemModeler, Wolfram Programming Lab, Wolfram One, Wolfram Engine for Developers, Function Repository, Neural Network Repository, Data Repository |
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Number of employees
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~400 |
| Divisions | Wolfram Media Inc., Wolfram Research Europe Ltd. in the United Kingdom, Wolfram Research Asia Ltd. in Japan and Wolfram Research South America in Peru. |
Wolfram Research, Inc. is an American company that makes computer programs. These programs help people with math, science, and many other things. Their most famous product is called Wolfram Mathematica. It was first released on June 23, 1988.
Other popular tools they make include WolframAlpha and Wolfram System Modeler. The company's founder, Stephen Wolfram, is also its CEO. Wolfram Research is based in Champaign, Illinois, in the United States.
Contents
History
Wolfram Research has created many important tools over the years. They are known for making powerful software.
Key Milestones
On May 16, 2009, the company launched Wolfram Alpha. This is a special "answer engine" that can figure out answers to questions. Instead of just showing you websites, it computes facts using lots of organized data.
In March 2011, Wolfram Research bought another company called MathCore Engineering AB. This helped them grow even more.
On July 21, 2011, they introduced the Computable Document Format (CDF). This is a type of electronic document. It lets people create interactive content that can change and respond to what you do.
In June 2014, Wolfram Research officially launched the Wolfram Language. This is a new computer programming language. It is the main language used inside their Mathematica software.
In April 2020, Wolfram Research received some money from a U.S. government program. This program helped businesses pay their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company did not have to pay this money back.
What They Make
Wolfram Research creates many different software products. These tools help students, scientists, and engineers.
Mathematica: The Math Powerhouse
Mathematica started as a program for doing advanced math on computers. Now, it can do much more! It has features for neural networks (like how brains learn). It also helps with machine learning, image processing, and data science.
Mathematica is great at solving complex math problems symbolically. This means it can find exact answers, not just numbers. You can use it on your computer, on a network, or even online in the cloud.
Wolfram Alpha: Your Smart Answer Bot
Wolfram Alpha is a free website that answers your questions directly. It doesn't just give you a list of websites like a search engine. Instead, it computes the answer using information it has collected.
You type in your question, and Wolfram Alpha calculates the answer. It also shows you helpful pictures and graphs. In 2012, they added a paid "Pro" version with extra features.
In 2016, Wolfram Alpha Enterprise was launched for businesses. This version helps companies analyze their own data. It uses Wolfram Alpha's smart algorithms to answer business questions.
Wolfram System Modeler: Building Virtual Worlds
Wolfram System Modeler is a tool for designing and testing things. It's used in engineering and life sciences. It's based on a language called Modelica.
This program lets you create virtual models of systems. You can then simulate how they would work in real life. It also works very well with Mathematica. This means you can build and analyze your models all in one place.
Sharing Knowledge
Wolfram Research also shares a lot of information online for free.
Online Encyclopedias
They publish several free websites. These include the MathWorld and ScienceWorld encyclopedias. ScienceWorld started in 2002. It has sections on chemistry, physics, astronomy, and famous scientists.
Interactive Demos and Books
The Wolfram Demonstrations Project is a website with interactive examples. These examples show how different math and science ideas work. You can play with them using a free program called Mathematica Player.
Wolfram Research also publishes The Mathematica Journal. They have also released several books through their publishing company, Wolfram Media. They have even tried making electronic textbooks.
On TV!
Wolfram Research helped with the CBS TV show Numb3rs. This show was about solving crimes using math. Wolfram Research was the math expert for the show.
See also
In Spanish: Wolfram Research para niños
- A New Kind of Science
- Ed Pegg, Jr.
- Eric W. Weisstein
- Computer-based mathematics education
