Current developments in LISP

Abstract

This paper is divided into three sections. The first gives an overview of the presently available and emerging dialects of LISP and how design decisions within them affect symbolic algebra. The second discusses recent developments, in particular, Common LISP, subsetting, portability, pure language research and mixed paradigm systems. The third part is devoted to what is happening in specialised LISP hardware in Japan, in the United States and in Europe. The subject matter of each of these three sections is so tightly interwoven however that the detailed discussion of some material may be postponed until a later section although to some readers it might seem appropriate for inclusion earlier. It should also be mentioned that this is a survey: therefore the items have been selected for mention on the grounds of interest rather than completeness.