💡 Nelson GSoC 2026 Project Ideas #1537
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Nelson GSoC 2026 Project Ideas
Welcome to Nelson's Google Summer of Code 2026 project ideas list! We're excited to work with contributors on our open source numerical computing language.
About Nelson
Nelson is a powerful, open-source numerical computational language with over 1,200 built-in functions. Originally inspired by MATLAB© and GNU Octave, Nelson offers a lightweight yet feature-rich experience for engineers, scientists, and students. Nelson supports advanced features including parallel computing, FFI, debugger, profiler, and interfaces with Python, Julia, and more.
Homepage: https://nelson-lang.github.io/nelson-website/
Documentation: https://nelson-lang.github.io/nelson-gitbook/
Source Code: https://github.com/nelson-lang/nelson
How to Apply
Nelson has limited mentorship capacity and will select only 1-2 contributors. To maximize your chances:
Selection criteria:
Contact
Project Ideas
1. Jupyter Kernel for Nelson
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Medium
Skills Required: Python, Jupyter protocol, JSON, Nelson interop
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (explicitly listed in roadmap)
Description
Create a Jupyter kernel for Nelson, allowing users to run Nelson code in Jupyter notebooks. Support rich output (plots, tables, LaTeX), code completion, inspection, and integration with Nelson's help system.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
New integration; complements Nelson's existing interfaces.
2. Enhanced Excel Integration (Cross-Platform)
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Medium
Skills Required: C++, file formats, XML parsing, cross-platform development
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (xlsx reader/writer on all platforms)
Description
Nelson can read/write Excel files on Windows via COM. This project will implement native cross-platform Excel support using libraries like libxlsxwriter or OpenXLSX, enabling Excel I/O on Linux and macOS without COM.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Extends Nelson's Excel support from Windows-only (COM) to cross-platform.
3. VS Code Server Integration
Duration: large project
Difficulty: Hard
Skills Required: TypeScript, VS Code extension development, LSP, debugging protocol
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (VS Code server explicitly listed)
Description
Create a VS Code extension for Nelson with language server protocol support, enabling modern IDE features: syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging integration, inline documentation, and workspace management.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Integrates with Nelson's debugger, profiler, and help system.
4. Image Processing Module
Duration: large project
Difficulty: Medium to Hard
Skills Required: C++, image processing algorithms, computer vision
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (Image Processing module explicitly listed)
Description
Create a comprehensive Image Processing module for Nelson with support for common image operations, filters, transformations, morphology, and analysis. Integrate with existing libraries (OpenCV, stb_image) where appropriate.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Complements Nelson's numerical computing and visualization capabilities.
5. NetCDF Reader/Writer
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Medium
Skills Required: C++, NetCDF library, scientific data formats
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (NetCDF reader/writer explicitly listed)
Description
Implement comprehensive NetCDF support for Nelson, enabling reading and writing of self-describing, machine-independent data formats widely used in climate science, oceanography, and other scientific domains.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Complements Nelson's HDF5 support for scientific data interchange.
6. GPU/NPU Array Computing
Duration: large project
Difficulty: Hard
Skills Required: C++, CUDA or ROCm, GPU programming, linear algebra
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (NPU/GPU arrays for optimization)
Description
Add GPU/NPU acceleration support to Nelson for large-scale numerical computations. Implement CUDA (NVIDIA), ROCm (AMD), and/or NPU backends for matrix operations, FFT, and solving linear systems. Provide a high-level Nelson API similar to MATLAB's GPU computing.
Expected Outcomes
gpuArray(),gather(),arrayfun()for GPUSkills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Complements existing OpenMP and SIMD optimizations; adds GPU capability.
7. Enhanced ARM NEON SIMD Optimizations
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Hard
Skills Required: C++, SIMD intrinsics (NEON), ARM assembly, numerical computing, performance optimization
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: MEDIUM (performance optimization)
Description
Nelson already uses OpenMP and SIMD for performance, but there's room for deeper ARM-specific optimizations. This project will implement NEON-optimized versions of critical numerical operations (matrix multiplication, FFT, linear algebra) for ARM processors, including Apple Silicon and ARM64 servers.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Nelson already has OpenMP and SIMD support; this extends it to ARM-specific optimizations.
8. LLM Integration Features
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Medium
Skills Required: C++, REST APIs, JSON, AI/ML concepts
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (LLM features explicitly listed)
Description
Integrate Large Language Model capabilities into Nelson, enabling AI-powered code assistance, natural language queries, documentation generation, and intelligent help. Support multiple LLM backends (OpenAI, Claude, local models).
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Enhances help system, documentation, and developer productivity.
9. WebAssembly Port for Nelson Cloud
Duration: large project
Difficulty: Hard
Skills Required: C++, WebAssembly, Emscripten, JavaScript, web development
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (WebAssembly compatibility extension)
Description
Nelson Cloud allows browser-based access to Nelson. This project will create a WebAssembly build of Nelson's core engine, enabling high-performance numerical computing directly in browsers without server-side execution.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Enhances Nelson Cloud with client-side WebAssembly execution.
10. Advanced Debugger Features
Duration: large project
Difficulty: Hard
Skills Required: C++, debugger internals, UI development (Qt), Nelson language semantics
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: MEDIUM (debugging commands and functionalities)
Description
Nelson has an interactive debugger with breakpoints and step execution. This project will enhance it with advanced features: conditional breakpoints, data breakpoints (watchpoints), reverse debugging, and a graphical call stack visualizer.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Extends Nelson's existing debugger with breakpoints, step-in/step-out, and variable inspection.
11. FMI Import Support
Duration: large project
Difficulty: Hard
Skills Required: C++, FMI specification, dynamic simulation, numerical methods
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (FMI import explicitly listed)
Description
Implement Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) import capabilities, allowing Nelson to load and simulate FMUs (Functional Mock-up Units) from various modeling tools. Support FMI 2.0 and 3.0 standards for model exchange and co-simulation.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Complements Nelson's numerical simulation and ODE solving capabilities.
12. Webview Integration
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Medium
Skills Required: C++, Qt WebEngine, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, web integration
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (Webview for web interaction)
Description
Integrate a Webview component into Nelson's desktop environment, enabling rich HTML/CSS/JavaScript-based UI components, interactive documentation, dashboards, and web-based visualizations within Nelson.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Extends Nelson's GUI capabilities with modern web technologies.
13. Advanced Sparse Matrix Algorithms
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Hard
Skills Required: C++, sparse matrix algorithms, numerical linear algebra
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: HIGH (comprehensive sparse operations support)
Description
Implement advanced sparse matrix algorithms: reordering (AMD, METIS), iterative solvers (BiCGSTAB, GMRES), incomplete factorizations (ILU, ICC), and eigenvalue solvers for sparse matrices.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Extends Nelson's sparse matrix support with advanced algorithms.
14. Enhanced Documentation System with Interactive Examples
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Medium
Skills Required: Web development, JavaScript, documentation tools, technical writing
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: MEDIUM (building on v1.15.0 documentation improvements)
Description
Nelson's help system was reworked in v1.15.0 with Markdown sources and multi-format export. This project will add interactive examples: users can run code snippets directly in the docs, modify parameters, and see results without leaving the documentation.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Extends Nelson's help engine (v1.15.0) with interactivity.
15. Machine Learning Toolbox
Duration: large project
Difficulty: Medium to Hard
Skills Required: C++, Python, machine learning, numerical computing
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: MEDIUM
Description
Create a machine learning toolbox for Nelson with common algorithms: linear/logistic regression, decision trees, random forests, k-means, SVM, neural networks. Integrate with Python ML libraries (scikit-learn, PyTorch) via Nelson's Python interface.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Uses Nelson's Python interface to bridge to ML libraries.
16. Profiler Enhancements with Flame Graphs
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Medium
Skills Required: C++, profiling, visualization, performance analysis
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: MEDIUM
Description
Nelson has a built-in profiler. This project will enhance it with modern visualization: flame graphs, call trees, timeline view, memory profiling, and integration with external profilers (perf, Instruments, VTune).
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Extends Nelson's existing profiler with modern visualizations.
17. Control System Design Toolbox Enhancements
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Medium to Hard
Skills Required: Control theory, C++, numerical methods, SLICOT
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: MEDIUM
Description
Nelson has a Control System module and optional SLICOT interface. This project will add advanced control design features: pole placement, LQR/LQG design, Kalman filters, model predictive control (MPC), and modern control visualization tools.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Extends Nelson's Control System module and SLICOT interface.
18. Time Series Analysis Module
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Medium
Skills Required: C++, statistics, time series analysis
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: MEDIUM
Description
Create time series analysis tools: ARIMA modeling, seasonal decomposition, forecasting, anomaly detection, and integration with Nelson's table and timeseries data types (introduced in v1.8.0).
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Uses Nelson's table and timeseries data types (v1.8.0).
19. Compatibility Layer for MATLAB Code Migration
Duration: large project
Difficulty: Medium to Hard
Skills Required: MATLAB, Nelson, language semantics, parsing, compatibility testing
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: MEDIUM
Description
Create a comprehensive MATLAB compatibility layer to ease migration from MATLAB to Nelson. Implement commonly used MATLAB functions, syntax compatibility, and a migration tool that analyzes MATLAB code and suggests Nelson equivalents.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Leverages Nelson's MATLAB-inspired design; adds compatibility.
20. Interactive 3D Visualization Enhancements
Duration: medium project
Difficulty: Medium
Skills Required: C++, Qt, OpenGL/Vulkan, 3D graphics, scientific visualization
Mentors: [Allan CORNET]
Roadmap Priority: MEDIUM
Description
Nelson supports 2D and 3D plotting. This project will enhance 3D visualization with modern rendering techniques, interactive manipulation (rotate, zoom, pan), volumetric rendering, and support for large datasets.
Expected Outcomes
Skills You'll Learn
Getting Started
Related Nelson Features
Extends Nelson's existing 2D and 3D plotting capabilities with modern techniques.
Additional Project Ideas
21. Cloud Storage Integration
Difficulty: Medium
Roadmap Priority: LOW
Add support for cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, S3) for loading/saving Nelson workspaces and data files.
22. Enhanced Audio Processing
Difficulty: Medium
Roadmap Priority: LOW
Add audio I/O, spectral analysis, filtering, and basic audio effects (reverb, delay, compression).
23. Mobile App for Nelson Cloud
Difficulty: Medium
Roadmap Priority: LOW
Develop native iOS/Android apps that connect to Nelson Cloud for mobile numerical computing.
24. Automated Module Packaging for Nelson Modules Manager (nmm)
Difficulty: Easy to Medium
Roadmap Priority: LOW
Create tools to automate module packaging: project templates, automatic dependency detection, version management, and CI integration.
25. Symbolic Mathematics Engine
Difficulty: Hard
Roadmap Priority: LOW
Add symbolic mathematics capabilities: symbolic variables, algebraic manipulation, calculus, equation solving using SymEngine or GiNaC.
General Information
Project Sizes
Roadmap Alignment
Projects are prioritized based on Nelson's v2.0.0 roadmap:
Timeline
GSoC 2026 runs from May to August/September depending on project size. All projects include:
Mentorship
Note: Nelson will accept 1-2 GSoC contributors maximum for 2026 due to maintainer capacity.
Mentorship will take place in a friendly, respectful, and collaborative environment, in line with established open-source best practices.
We have limited mentorship bandwidth, so we can only take on 1-2 projects. Selected contributors will receive dedicated mentorship including:
Priority will be given to contributors who:
Application Requirements
Your GSoC proposal should include:
Getting Started with Nelson
Code Contribution Guidelines
Questions?
Why Contribute to Nelson?
Resources
Summary
Nelson offers diverse GSoC projects ranging from low-level performance optimization to high-level tooling and user experience. Projects are carefully aligned with Nelson's v2.0.0 roadmap priorities, ensuring that contributor work directly advances Nelson's development goals. High-priority projects (Jupyter kernel, VS Code integration, Image Processing, NetCDF, GPU/NPU computing, LLM features, and more) will receive preference during selection.
Contributors will gain valuable experience in scientific software development, numerical algorithms, and open source collaboration while making meaningful contributions to Nelson's evolution.
We look forward to your contributions and welcome you to the Nelson community!
Allan CORNET
Project Maintainer
nelson.numerical.computation@gmail.com
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