OStatic

With costs for academic mathematics software approaching $1,000 for a single license, it doesn't take a numbers whiz to realize that a free, open source option is probably a better alternative. Sage is an entire mathematics system licensed under the GPL and available as a free download for Windows (running VMWare), Mac OS X, and Linux.

Sage covers everything from basic algebra all the way up to complex math processes like graph theory and exact linear algebra. It's designed for both research and studying, and is also plenty robust for classroom settings. In fact, the Web site has several resources for teaching with Sage, complete with lesson plans and worksheets.

Red Hat commissioned a study released today that takes a fascinating look at which countries use the most open source software. The usual suspects -- the U.S., UK, and China -- made the top of the list and Africa brings a decent show of support to the table, no doubt due, in part, to the efforts of the One Laptop Per Child program. The interactive Open Source Environment Map Red Hat created to display the results is a terrific visual representation of where FOSS is found, and where the community needs to step up its efforts toward the goal of worldwide FOSS adoption.

Last month, the open source community was buzzing over a report released by the Linux Foundation that placed the value of the Linux ecosystem at around $25 billion. Now that the dust has settled somewhat, we caught up with Amanda McPherson, the foundation's VP of marketing & developer programs, to get her thoughts on the study, what the results mean for the community, and what the take-away message ought to be.