Click here to skip to Science Software
MATH SOFTWARE
(WU3A Mathematics Group does not provide support for and may not recommend the software
mentioned here.)
Here you can download
Microsoft QBASIC (from the 1990s) with a few working math programs.
To download this QBASIC zipped package just click the link and save file.
QBASIC works on Microsoft systems from MSDOS to WindowsXP and on other operating systems that
have DOS emulation.
The BASIC programming language is said to be a good way to start learning about computer programming.
For something more modern, click PYTHON
and from the website download the version that suits your system.
Python is, like BASIC, an interpreted programming language. It is free and there's this helpful
Beginner's Guide.
Click python program to get a working example program to use after installing Python.
It prints the decimal value of pi with great precision.
Python acts as a calculator when run as 'IDLE' from the start menu. IDLE is the equivalent of
the "immediate mode" in BASIC.
Python automatically uses 'long' integers when necessary. So, for example:
Question. A coin is tossed 200 times. Exactly how many possible sequences of heads and tails
are there?
Answer. Suppose we guess it's 2 ^ 200, ie, 2 to the power 200. Here is Python
IDLE's immediate result for that:-
">>> 2**200
1606938044258990275541962092341162602522202993782792835301376L
>>>"
Included in Python is turtle graphics, used sometimes as a teaching aid for children. Examples of turtle
graphics are shown in the following Figures.
Fig.1 Turtle Graphics - simple example.
Click image for program
|
Fig.2 Example graph of a function (Turtle graphics)
Click image for program
|
Fig.3 The Ulam 'Spiral'
Stanislaw Ulam noticed in 1963 that there were
patterns discernible in a spiral plot of the prime numbers.
Program available
|
|
Python can produce a more professional range of graphics than those using only turtle. Starting with Python as
described above, there are just 3 additional packages needed with names
respectively numpy, scipy and matplotlib (can't avoid geek-speak here) to widen the mathematical and graphical scope . On WindowsXP fortunately there are 'no brain' installation programs (of type ".exe") available for each of these 3 additional packages. All downloads should be named for the recent Python version 2.6. Then graphics such as Figs. A, B & C below are available. For further capabilities consider a complete ready-made computer package such as Python(x,y)
in the 'Science Software' below.
|
|
SCIENCE/ENGINEERING SOFTWARE
(WU3A Science Group does not provide support for and may not recommend the software
mentioned here.)
Python(x,y) is an integrated Python science and engineering package with more
capabilities than plain Python discussed in the Math software. Python(x,y) includes excellent documentation,
improved interactive Python (alternative to IDLE supplied with simple Python) and
many science links. Python(x,y) can be downloaded for free as a complete package with a single click from www.pythonxy.com.
The images below give some idea of the range of visualisation available.
Images from Python(x,y)
|
Fig. A Histogram example (numpy - scipy - matplotlib)
|
Fig. B Polar presentation example (matplotlib)
|
Fig. C Fourier transform of time waveform
(process shown by various images - Matplotlib)
|
Fig.D 3D-Graphics (Python(x,y) - Qwt3D)
|
A scientific-python reference book:
“Python Scripting for Computational Science”, Hans Petter Langtangen, Ed.:
Springer, ISBN-13:978-3-540-73915-9.
|
