Some tensor (or multivariate array) computations are very easy to
organize by "reshaping" arrays. [1]   Eg if one has a 2 x 3 x 4 x 5
array (stored in colum-major format), it can be reshaped into a 6 x 20
matrix (the underlying elements remain the same, only the mapping from
the indices to the flat vector changes.  Then one can multiply this
matrix by another one, reshape the array again, etc.  Transpose/
reshape combinations are also powerful.

I would like to find out if Scheme would allow me to do this (I don't
mind if it is specific to a particular implementation).  I have
already seen that some scheme compilers (eg Chicken) have BLAS/LAPACK
bindings, so the matrix part is not a problem.  I would like to know
if  "boxed" arrays (say, of doubles) stored in column-major format are
available in Scheme, and whether those arrays can be reshaped (as
outlined above) with little cost (no problem if that happens
destructively).

Thanks,

Tamas

Since many Scheme impls get their array type from SLIB or SRFI-25/47/63
I suspect they are all row-major. CommonLISP is also row-major.

SRFI-4 has vectors of doubles - f64vector - which can be used with the
Chicken BLAS egg. But manipulation of a column-major array type - I
doubt you will find one.