Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Domains

Domain: peda.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to peda.com.

Comments · 8

  1. Re:Just in time... by Rhombitruncated+Cubo · · Score: 1, Informative · on The GIF Format is Finally Patent-Free

    GIF isn't limited to 256 colours as you can composite multiple frames to make up a single image. See http://www.peda.com/iag

  2. grafeq or dpgraph by shopi · · Score: 1 · on Open Source Math Software For Education?
    these are not open source, but I found them invaluable in helping visualize equations in an intuitive manner. For 2d use GrafEq, and for 3d DPgraph. They are both amazingly intuitive tools, and complement each other rather nicely. You should check if the college has licenses for the last one.

    Another useful tool maybe Maple, again, if the college has the proper license. The lastest version has a number of "tutors" geared toward the first years of college (meaning calc I-III, and lin. alg.). There is a step by step symbolic integrator, for instance.

    Anyway, my advice would be using tools that help creativity and visualization, not tools that do their work for them. And like other people have said, if they know a language like python or c++, they might be motivated to use it as a "playground" to explore ideas. This is very cool.

  3. I take it that they still can't graph properly by Rhombitruncated+Cubo · · Score: 0 · on TI Launches Three New Graphing Calculators

    All the graphing calculators I've tried (and I've tried more than a few...) can't graph basic functions like y=sin999x or y=1/x properly. Most won't attack let you enter equations as complicated as (gasp!) x^2+y^2=1. It would be nice if the graphing calculator companies would improve the graphing algorithms their products use (see my program GrafEq for example). Years ago, HP was working on a new calculator with us before top brass (C.F.?) decided that calculators were passe and decided to can all future calculator development.

  4. Fat, flat, and chunky by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Christmas Gifts for Geeks

    cubes and stuff

  5. Re:D&D dice by Rhombitruncated+Cubo · · Score: 1 · on 2000 Year Old Roman d20 Up For Auction
    A cool project --- you could start with a set of our polyhedra.

    They'd certainly survive typical DM gaming use (thowing at playthings^H^H^H^H^H^Hers) better than the six thousand dollar special on auction.

  6. Polyhedra by Rhombitruncated+Cubo · · Score: 1 · on Scientific American's Sci/Tech Gifts for 2003
    die-cast models (easy!)

    snap-together models (less easy!)

  7. Interval Methods / GrafEq by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Use of Math Languages and Packages in Research?

    Interval methods automatically track all floating-point "errors". See GrafEq for an example graphing package that uses intervals: it doesn't produce incorrect graphs, even for tricky equations. (Not the case with Mathematica, Maple, etc.! They do give incorrect graphs on many simple equations.) See his siggraph paper.

  8. Re:expandable spheres by chadmulligan · · Score: 4 · on Hoberman Sphere Building Blocks
    I never stopped to analyze the mechanism, however.

    The mechanism is actually quite simple, the trick is in the linkage that converts a dimensional variation along one axis into an inverse variation at right angles, which is then taken up and reconverted by the adjoining edges. So all polygons are forced to contract or expand proportionally.

    While one is limited to building unit-edge polyhedra - closed ones work better than open ones - there are much more of those than is usually supposed. Have a look at Poly (Mac and Windows versions available), a shareware program which displays an astonishing variety of polyhedra. [Insert usual disclaimers here]