SAS IML SAS IML is a general computer language. Unlike data based SAS procedures, IML can be used to write nondata oriented program. For example, it is not easy to use SAS to write a program to find the roots for a cubic equation by numerical method. These functions are not easy to find in other software. In the following descriptions, capital letters are matrices or vectors.
Small letters are scalars.
Obviously, all the matrix operation can be used for scalars, because a scalar is a 1x1 matrix. Though most the operation have the same definition as those in linear algebra, some of them need more explanation. Element operations mean the operation is on each element of one matrix. Seed will be redefined by the function automatically. SAS IML error information is far from satisfactory.