Article URL: https://gowers.wordpress.com/2026/08/12/what-sort-of-maths-are-llms-good-at/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49270022 Points: 10 # Comments: 0
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A developer has released Woxi, a free and open-source reimplementation of the Wolfram Language written in Rust. The project includes Woxi Studio, a Mathematica-like graphical interface, alongside support for CLI, Jupyter kernel, Python and npm packages, and a WebAssembly module. Unlike the official Wolfram kernel, Woxi boasts millisecond-range startup times, making it practical for shell scripts and short-lived processes. It can also be embedded into other applications or run directly in a browser via WASM. Reliability is backed by approximately 26,000 unit tests and 900 script snapshot tests, with ongoing work focused on edge cases, performance, and community growth.
A developer has built ListingPic, a free browser-based tool that helps marketplace sellers check product images before uploading them to platforms like Amazon, Etsy, TikTok Shop, and Shopify. The tool analyzes images for common issues such as incorrect dimensions, aspect ratio mismatches, thumbnail crop risks, and platform-specific requirements. All image processing happens locally in the browser, meaning no photos are sent to external servers, addressing privacy concerns around unreleased or proprietary product assets. The current version supports readiness checks tailored to Amazon, Etsy, and TikTok Shop, with entry points for eBay, Walmart, and Shopify workflows also included. The developer is seeking feedback from sellers and ecommerce tool builders, with planned improvements including batch processing, downloadable marketplace-ready image variants, and clearer platform-specific guidance.
Despite persistent rumors, Microsoft has made no official announcement about a Windows 12 release, and its actual roadmap continues to center on evolving Windows 11. The upcoming Windows 11 version 26H2 has already appeared in Insider builds, with a June 2026 Insider release updating version information to reflect the new label. A broader 26H2 rollout is expected later in 2026, likely delivered as an enablement package to minimize disruption for compatible systems. Microsoft's growing focus on AI integration, NPU support, and hardware-backed security is reshaping the platform more significantly than a version-number change would suggest. For developers, this incremental approach means fewer disruptive migrations and a greater need to account for hardware capability differences between Windows 11 devices.
CrateDB is a database platform that supports geospatial, full-text, and vector search simultaneously within a single system, eliminating the need for multiple separate databases. The platform uses BM25-based full-text indexing, GEO_SHAPE columns, and float vector embeddings to handle complex hybrid queries in one place. A practical demonstration uses a German Regions dataset, showing how users can query which federal state a city belongs to while also searching text descriptions for keywords like 'castles'. Running all search types on one database reduces infrastructure complexity and avoids data-sync issues that arise when querying multiple systems. The example is based on CrateDB's IoT Analytics scenario and forms part one of a two-part technical walkthrough.
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