Static lifting for mixed volumes and polyhedral continuation in PHCv2.4.85

In release 2.3, one file had to be changed for the optimizer in Mac OS X
and default options were set to floating-point point-wise lifting.
Release 2.3.16 has new facilities to jumpstart the polyhedral homotopies,
along with an exponential continuation parameter.  
The direct input of Laurent systems led to changes in release 2.3.26.
Support for stable mixed volumes was added in release 2.3.31.
In release 2.3.90, versions of polyhedral homotopies in double double
and quad double precision were provided.

The algorithm used is based on the construction of a mixed subdivision,
based on Betke's formula for mixed volumes and the polyhedral homotopy
continuation methods developed by Huber and Sturmfels.

This library features integer-valued and floating-point lifting functions.
The implementation of integer static lifting typically induces nested
subdivisions, with non-fine cells recursively refined by subdivisions.

In version 2.4.06, the application of heterogeneous multitasking 
makes that the MixedVol algorithm runs in parallel with the polyhedral
path trackers to solve a random coefficient system.

There are four parts in this library:

1. Integer-valued lifting, mixed subdivisions and polyhedral continuation
2. Floating-point lifting, mixed subdivisions and polyhedral continuation
3. Influence of points to mixed volume: a simple criterion
4. Driver packages

Run "gprbuild stalift.gpr" to make all test programs.
On windows, type "gprbuild stalift.gpr -Xos=windows"
at the PowerShell prompt.
The "gprclean stalift.gpr" removes all files created by gprbuild.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
file name                         : short description
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
random_coefficient_systems        : create random systems with given supports
test_rndcff_systems               : tests the making of random systems
ts_rndcff                         : calls the main test on random systems
integer_mixed_subdivisions        : mixed subdivisions with integer lifting
integer_mixed_subdivisions_io     : input/output of mixed subdivisions
integer_lifting_functions         : lifting supports with integer values
integer_lifting_utilities         : utilities for integer lifting functions
integer_pruning_methods           : pruning methods for integer subdivisions
integer_polyhedral_continuation   : polyhedral continuation by integer lifting
mixed_volume_computation          : functions to compute mixed volumes
ts_mixvol                         : mixed volume of supports
bkk_bound_computations            : black-box mixed volumes and solvers
main_lifting_functions            : determines lifting based on user input
ts_userlift                       : test user defined integer lifting
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
floating_integer_convertors       : convertors integer<->floating data
floating_mixed_subdivisions       : mixed subdivisions with floating lifting
floating_mixed_subdivisions_io    : input/output of mixed subdivisions
floating_lifting_functions        : lifting supports with floating values
floating_lifting_utilities        : utilities for floating lifting functions
induced_permutations              : deal with permuted supports
floating_pruning_methods          : pruning methods for floating subdivisions
floating_polyhedral_continuation  : polyhedral continuation by floating lifting
dobldobl_polyhedral_continuation  : versions for double double coefficients
quaddobl_polyhedral_continuation  : versions for quad double coefficients
stable_polyhedral_continuation    : to compute solutions with zero components
test_stable_mixed_volumes         : test on stable mixed volumes
ts_stable                         : calls the test on stable mixed volumes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
inner_normal_cones                : representations of cones of inner normals
normal_cone_intersections         : taking intersections of normal cones
contributions_to_mixed_volume     : contributions of points to mixed volume
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
drivers_for_mixed_contributions   : application of the contribution checks
driver_for_criterion              : driver for the criterion
ts_drivcrit                       : calls the menu-driver for the criterion
driver_for_lifting_functions      : menu-driver for selecting lifting function
pruning_statistics                : writes pruning statistics
drivers_for_static_lifting        : menu-driver for static lifting
ts_drivstal                       : calls the driver for static lifting
drivers_for_mixedvol_algorithm    : drivers to the MixedVol Algorithm
ts_mvasta                         : calls the MixedVol algorithm
drivers_for_demics_algorithm      : drivers to the DEMiCs Algorithm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ts_mixlab                         : coordinate/labeled subdivision convertors
ts_jpmix                          : template to prepare jumpstarting
polyhedral_coefficient_homotopies : for efficient evaluation of the homotopies
polyhedral_coefficient_parameters : default values of numerical tolerances
polyhedral_coefficient_predictors : step control and predictors
polyhedral_coefficient_correctors : correctors for polyhedral homotopies
polyhedral_coefficient_tracking   : path tracking with coefficient homotopies
jumpstart_polyhedral_homotopies   : drivers to jumpstart polyhedral trackers
ts_exptrack                       : test exponential continuation parameters
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lifted_configurations             : for balancing the lifting values
test_balance_lifting              : development of balancing lifting values
ts_balance                        : calls the main test on balancing
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subdivisions induced by integer lifting functions have to be recursive,
since one cannot guarantee that all cells will be fine mixed.
