Lisp-Stat

Abstract

This article outlines a statistical system based on the Lisp language. The system consists of a set of functions for performing basic statistical computations and modifications to standard Lisp functions for basic arithmetic operations, such as addition, logarithms, etc., to allow them to operate on lists and arrays of numbers. An object-oriented programming system is used to allow the construction of custom data structures and to represent statistical structures such as linear and nonlinear regression models. The basic computing system is implemented in a subset of Common Lisp. A major feature is a dynamic graphics system for bitmapped graphics displays that includes histograms, scatterplots, rotatable plots, and scatterplot matrices. Plots are controlled by mouse actions, menus, and dialog boxes. The object-oriented programming system is used to allow the response to mouse actions, menus, and dialogs to be customized interactively by the user. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.