The BasicLinearAlgebraSubprograms (BLAS) provide low level matrix and vector subroutines for the LinearAlgebraPackage (LAPACK). 

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Linear_Algebra_Subprograms.

It is possible for different versions of the BLAS to be supplied optimised for different computer hardware architectures. These all have the same interface to LAPACK, so that its high level routines do not have to be changed for different hardware.

Over time, the implementers of BLAS also supply implementations of LAPACK as well.

There is one version called GotoBlas which can be installed on different hardware and will detect the architecture and operating system and build a suitable installation.

GotoBlas has now been superceded by OpenBlas.

There are interfaces for FortranLanguage and CeePlusPlus.
----
CategoryMath CategoryFortran CategoryCpp