[Numpy-discussion] Does numpy depend upon a Fortran library?

[Marc F Paterno]

Hello,

I have encountered a problem with a binary incompatibility between the Fortran runtime library installed with numpy when using 'pip install --user numpy', and that used by the rest of my program, which is built using gfortran from GCC 8.2.  The numpy installation uses libgfortran.5.dylib, and GCC 8.2 provides libgfortran.5.dylib.

While investigating the source of this problem, I downloaded the numpy source
(https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/04/b6/d7faa70a3e3eac39f943cc6a6a64ce378259677de516bd899dd9eb8f9b32/numpy-1.16.0.zip),
and tried building it. The resulting libraries have no coupling to any Fortran library that I can find.  I can find no Fortran source code files in the numpy source,
except in tests or documentation.

I am working on a MacBook laptop, running macOS Mojave, and so am using the Accelerate framework to supply BLAS.

I do not understand why the pip installation of numpy includes a Fortran runtime library. Can someone explain to me what I am missing?

thanks
Marc