A few of the computer programs I have written, plus one written by Al Kelley, are available for download by pushing the button below.
Here is a list, with brief descriptions:
There are three new programs related to the Lorenz Equations:
lorenz: This is a C++ program that will solve the Lorenz Equations, and in real time, display a graph of the Lorenz Attractor in the "tek" window of an xterm. It should compile and run on any UNIX or Linux machine, or on a Windows machine running Cygwin. The user may alter parameters or select a new starting point while the program is running.
mklorenz: This is a C++ program that creates a datafile, with each line of the file consisting of a triplet of numbers (X, Y and Z) that are a solution of the Lorenz Equations. Such a datafile may be used along with a supplied Gnuplot script to view a 3D image of the Lorenz Attractor.
sonify: This is a C++ program that may be used (with input from the datafile produced by mklorenz) to create a MIDI sound file whose notes are a representation of the Lorenz Attractor. You will need to have mup (music publisher) installed on your machine to create the MIDI sound file.
These are additional programs:
mkevals: This is a C++ program that will draft UCSC-style narrative evaluations, using as input the numerical scores on a set of "items", such as exams, quizzes and homework. It is an improved version of a program I wrote in UCSC's early days. It has been used by a number of physics faculty and a few chemistry faculty, and although it is particularly useful for large classes in the natural sciences, I have found it useful even for small classes.
NOTE: mkevals version 2.3 is now available, with revised code, improved documentation, and a new version suitable for running on WINDOWS. Version 2.3 accommodates UCSC class roster formats planned for introduction in September, 2005, as well as those used earlier in 2005 and in 2004. Although it is basically a UNIX-based program (that will successfully compile and run using g++ versions ranging from 2.95.3 through the current 4.0.1), we now have the new version for WINDOWS machines.
Included are detailed instructions for easy compilation of the source code, for downloading class rosters from the myUCSC portal, and for formatting evaluations and submitting them via email to script@ucsc.edu. The program will suggest grade assignments using the full grade spectrum (A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, F, P, NP, W) and rank students by grade category. Thanks are due to Peter Young (a consistent user) for several suggestions for changes. Try it out, and let me know if it works (or doesn't work) for you.
fit: A C++ program that will fit a chosen mathematical function to a set of data points by adjusting function parameters so as to achieve a least-squares fit to the data. The mathematical function may be nonlinear in the parameters. It is been routinely used by students enrolled in upper division lab courses. The current version is 1.5.1, and will compile on fermi and unix.ic and probably on windows machines running cygwin.
fitline: This is like fit, except that it is limited to fitting a straight line to a set of data points. It yields a slope and intercept for the line.
hoc: This is a simple calculator ("high-order
calculator") that runs on UNIX-based machines. It was an exercise
using yacc (bison) for me, but since I use it frequently I
thought others might enjoy it also.
grade: This program, written in C++ by Al Kelley, facilitates the recording of scores for names (of students, say) on a list, by producing a neatly-formatted ASCII file. It is easy to use, and helps you keep from making mistakes, much easier than trying to create a spreadsheet.
