# GNU Octave

> numerical computation software

**Wikidata**: [Q223679](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q223679)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Octave)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gnu-octave

## Summary
GNU Octave is a high-level programming language and free software package primarily intended for numerical computations. It is a core part of the GNU Project and provides a functional environment for solving linear and nonlinear problems numerically, designed to be largely compatible with MATLAB.

## Key Facts
- **Inception:** 1988
- **Creators:** John W. Eaton and Torsten Lilge
- **Parent Organization:** GNU Project (founded September 27, 1983)
- **Classifications:** Programming language, GNU package, mathematical software, and free software
- **Programming Paradigm:** Array programming
- **Primary Compatibility:** Designed as a free alternative to MATLAB
- **Operating Systems:** Microsoft Windows and Unix-like systems
- **User Interfaces:** Provides both a Command-Line Interface (CLI) and a Graphical User Interface (GUI)
- **Naming:** Named after chemical engineer Octave Levenspiel

## FAQs
### Q: Is GNU Octave compatible with MATLAB?
A: Yes, GNU Octave is specifically designed to be a free and open-source alternative that is largely compatible with MATLAB's syntax and numerical computing environment.

### Q: What are the main uses for GNU Octave?
A: It is primarily used for scientific computing, statistics, and numerical analysis, offering tools for solving complex mathematical problems and performing data analysis.

### Q: What platforms can run GNU Octave?
A: GNU Octave is cross-platform software that runs on Microsoft Windows and various Unix-like operating systems.

### Q: Who maintains and develops the software?
A: The software was created by John W. Eaton and Torsten Lilge; John W. Eaton continues to serve as a primary developer and maintainer.

## Why It Matters
GNU Octave serves as a vital open-source pillar in the field of scientific and numerical computing. By providing a high-level language that mirrors the functionality of proprietary tools like MATLAB, it democratizes access to powerful computational resources for students, researchers, and engineers. As a GNU Project package, it ensures that users have the freedom to run, study, share, and modify the software, which is essential for reproducible research and education. Its ability to handle multidimensional arrays and its integration with various toolkits and file formats make it a versatile competitor to both general-purpose languages like Python and specialized environments like Mathematica or R.

## Notable For
- **MATLAB Compatibility:** High degree of syntax compatibility allows users to transition between or run MATLAB scripts within an open-source environment.
- **Array Programming Focus:** Optimized for the array programming paradigm, making it exceptionally efficient for operations on multidimensional matrices.
- **Extensive Distribution:** Available across nearly all major software repositories, including Flatpak, Snap, Homebrew, and native Linux package managers like APT and Fedora.
- **Integrated Toolkits:** Features specialized components such as EpsTk, a toolkit for encapsulated postscript generation.

## Body

### History and Development
GNU Octave was founded in 1988 by John W. Eaton and Torsten Lilge. It was named in honor of Octave Levenspiel, a professor known for his ability to perform quick back-of-the-envelope numerical calculations. The software is a significant component of the GNU Project, which was initiated in 1983 to create a free software industry.

### Technical Architecture
GNU Octave is built as a high-level language specifically for numerical computation. 
- **Interfaces:** The software supports a command-line interface (octave-cli) and a graphical user interface (octave) built using the Qt framework.
- **File Support:** It can read and write several file formats, including GNU Octave Matrix data (text), Hierarchical Data Format (HDF), and standard Octave source code files.
- **Dependencies:** It utilizes the EpsTk toolkit for postscript tasks and is maintained through the Mercurial version control system on Savannah.

### Software Ecosystem and Competition
GNU Octave exists within a competitive landscape of numerical and statistical software:
- **Direct Alternatives:** It is the primary free alternative to MATLAB (1984) and competes with Mathematica (1988).
- **Language Competitors:** It serves as an alternative to Fortran for high-performance computing and R for statistical analysis.
- **General Purpose Rivalry:** While Python (1991) is a general-purpose language, it competes with Octave in scientific domains through libraries like NumPy and SciPy.

### Licensing and Distribution
The software was originally licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.0 or later. Since October 2007, it has transitioned to newer versions of the GPL. It is widely distributed through various channels:
- **Linux Distributions:** Available in Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo, Arch Linux, and OpenSUSE repositories.
- **Package Managers:** Supported via Homebrew (macOS), Flathub, and Snapcraft.
- **Version History:** Notable stable releases include version 3.8.0 (2013), 4.0.0 (2015), and 4.2.1 (2017).

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## References

1. Free Software Directory
2. [Source](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/about.html)
3. [Source](https://hg.savannah.gnu.org/hgweb/octave/rev/93c65f2a5668)
4. [Source](https://hg.savannah.gnu.org/hgweb/octave/file/tip/COPYRIGHT.md)
5. [Source](https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/octave/)
6. [GNU Octave. Open Hub](https://www.openhub.net/p/octave/analyses/latest/languages_summary)
7. [Source](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2014/03/04/octave-3.8.1-released.html)
8. [Source](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2015/05/29/octave-4.0.0-released.html)
9. [GNU Octave 4.0.1 Released. 2016](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2016/03/23/octave-4.0.1-released.html)
10. [Source](http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/octave/)
11. [GNU Octave](https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/octave)
12. [Source](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2016/11/14/octave-4.2.0-released.html)
13. [Source](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2017/02/24/octave-4.2.1-released.html)
14. [Source](https://wiki.octave.org/Release_History)
15. [GNU Octave 4.2.2 Released. 2018](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2018/03/13/octave-4.2.2-released.html)
16. [GNU Octave 4.4.0 Released](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2018/04/30/octave-4.4.0-released.html)
17. [GNU Octave 4.4.1 Released](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2018/08/09/octave-4.4.1-released.html)
18. [GNU Octave 5.1.0 Released. 2019](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-gnu/2019-03/msg00000.html)
19. [GNU Octave 5.2.0 Released. 2020](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2020/01/31/octave-5.2.0-released.html)
20. [GNU Octave 6.1.0 Released. 2020](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2020/11/26/octave-6.1.0-released.html)
21. [GNU Octave 6.2.0 Released. 2021](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2021/02/20/octave-6.2.0-released.html)
22. [Source](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2021/07/11/octave-6.3.0-released.html)
23. [GNU Octave 6.4.0 Released. 2021](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2021/10/30/octave-6.4.0-released.html)
24. [GNU Octave 7.1.0 Released. 2022](https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/news/release/2022/04/06/octave-7.1.0-released.html)
25. [GNU Octave 7.2.0 Released. 2022](https://octave.org/news/release/2022/07/28/octave-7.2.0-released.html)
26. [Version 7.2.0 released. 2022](https://hg.savannah.gnu.org/hgweb/octave/rev/6c1e310b2230)
27. [GNU Octave 7.3.0 Released. 2022](https://octave.org/news/release/2022/11/02/octave-7.3.0-released.html)
28. [Version 7.3.0 released. 2022](https://hg.savannah.gnu.org/hgweb/octave/rev/2c037ce00450)
29. [GNU Octave 8.1.0 Released. 2023](https://octave.org/news/release/2023/03/07/octave-8.1.0-released.html)
30. [GNU Octave 8.2.0 Released. 2023](https://octave.org/news/release/2023/04/13/octave-8.2.0-released.html)
31. [GNU Octave 8.3.0 Released. 2023](https://octave.org/news/release/2023/08/08/octave-8.3.0-released.html)
32. [GNU Octave 8.4.0 Released. 2023](https://octave.org/news/release/2023/11/05/octave-8.4.0-released.html)
33. [GNU Octave 9.1.0 Released. 2024](https://octave.org/news/release/2024/03/14/octave-9.1.0-released.html)
34. [GNU Octave 9.2.0 Released. 2024](https://octave.org/news/release/2024/06/07/octave-9.2.0-released.html)
35. [GNU Octave 9.3.0 Released. 2024](https://octave.org/news/release/2024/12/15/octave-9.3.0-released.html)
36. [GNU Octave 9.4.0 Released. 2025](https://octave.org/news/release/2025/02/07/octave-9.4.0-released.html)
37. [Source](https://hg.savannah.gnu.org/hgweb/octave/rev/df465cbba05a)
38. [Source](https://hg.savannah.gnu.org/hgweb/octave/rev/d0c18b1446df)
39. [Version 10.2.0 released](https://hg.octave.org/octave/rev/release-10-2-0)
40. [Version 10.3.0 released. 2025](https://hg.octave.org/octave/rev/release-10-3-0)
41. [GNU Octave 10.3.0 Released. 2025](https://octave.org/news/release/2025/10/01/octave-10.3.0-released.html)
42. [GNU Octave 11.1.0 released. 2026](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-gnu/2026-02/msg00012.html)
43. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
44. Quora
45. [Source](https://packages.guix.gnu.org/packages/octave/)
46. [Source](https://packages.guix.gnu.org/packages/octave-cli/)
47. [Source](https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/help-octave)
48. [Source](https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/octave-bug-tracker)