Report Number: CS-TR-76-561
Institution: Stanford University, Department of Computer Science
Title: Mathematical Programming Language -- user's guide
Author: Woods, Donald R.
Date: August 1976
Abstract: Mathematical Programming Language (MPL) is a aprogramming language specifically designed for the implementation of mathematical software and, in particular, experimental mathematical programming software. In the past there has been a wide gulf between the applied mathematicians who design mathematical algorithms (but often have little appreciation of the fine points of computing) and the professional programmer, who may have little or no understanding of the mathematics of the problem he is programming. The result is that a vast number of mathematical algorithms have been devised and published, with only a small fraction being actually implemented and experimentally compared on selected representative problems. MPL is designed to be as close as possible to the terminology used by the mathematician while retaining as far as possible programming sophistications which make for good software systems. The result is a programming langauge which (hopefully!) allows the writing of clear, concise, easily read programs, especially by persons who are not professional programmers.
http://i.stanford.edu/pub/cstr/reports/cs/tr/76/561/CS-TR-76-561.pdf