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Mathematica Inc. was a multi-faceted American software company and consulting group founded by Princeton University professors in 1968. The company had three primary divisions: Mathematica Policy Research, which did consulting work, mostly "to develop mathematical models for marketing decision making"; Mathematica Products Group, best known for developing the RAMIS programming language; and MathTech, the company's technical and economic consulting group. The company was also a leading developer of state lottery systems.[1]
In early 1982, the company's stock was split 3-for-2.[2] Mathematica Products Group was soon spun off and purchased by Martin Marietta Corporation, in May 1983.[3] The division was then renamed Mathematica & Oxford Software. Marietta sold Mathematica & Oxford Software to On-Line Software International in 1986;[4] On-Line was in turn sold to Computer Associates, in 1991.[5][6] Mathematica Policy Research and MathTech meanwhile were spun off, and in 1986 both independently became employee-owned companies. Mathematica Policy Research was eventually renamed to Mathematica Inc. and it is the only former unit still carrying the full Mathematica name.
- Oskar Morgenstern, economist and one of the company's founders (1969)
- Tibor Fabian, Mathematica's Hungarian-born president (1980s)
- William Baumol and William Bowen: economists, early day participants
- Mathematica Policy Research – the only former unit still carrying the Mathematica name.
- Mathematica Products Group – best known for developing RAMIS
- MathTech, the company's technical and economic consulting group – "research projects and computer systems other than Ramis."[1]
A quarter of a century after Mathematica's founding, it "was largely owned by a group of professors in Mathematics and Economics at Princeton University ... as this group aged, they opted to cash out by selling." The result was a 3-way split: two units became employee-owned companies and another was sold several times.
Mathematica Products Group
In 1982, Mathematica Products Group's RAMIS was described as "nonprocedural" and "bordering on artificial intelligence."[7] This unit of Mathematica was purchased by Martin Marietta Corporation in 1983[8] and renamed to Mathematica & Oxford Software.[4] Marietta sold Mathematica & Oxford Software in 1986 to On-Line Software International, who merged the subsidiary into their own main operations;[4] On-Line was in turn sold to Computer Associates, in 1991.[9][10]
The RAMIS product sold well, initially on mainframes,[11] subsequently on PCs.
Mathematica Policy Research
The Mathematica Policy Research (MPR) unit's strength was in "social experiments and surveys."[1] In 1983 MPR reported "a major survey assignment for the American Medical Association."
In 1986, it became a separate, employee-owned company.
MathTech
Like MPR, in 1986 MathTech became an employee-owned company. Known today as Mathtech, Inc.,[12] it was described by The New York Times as "a Washington-area educational consulting firm [13]
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