A list of my publications, copies of some of my articles etc.
OCTAVE is the open-source equivalent of MATLAB and was developed at the University of Wisconsin starting the late 1980s (OCTAVE was the name of a chemical engineering professor, OCTAVE Levenspiel; nothing to do with music). They are constructed in different ways, but the basic OCTAVE commands are the same as those of MATLAB and OCTAVE will run programs written for MATLAB. In my opinion OCTAVE is a better language for students to learn because of the programming structure; whereas MATLAB ends loops, etc. with the same command "end", OCTAVE uses "for ... endfor", etc.
The following manual is a sixty page introduction, especially written for Student Linux, to using OCTAVE for
solving linear and
polynomial equations, statistics, data analysis, an introduction to programming, graphing, "tossing coins on
a
computer" (simulation), etc. A special feature (section 01) is "A sample OCTAVE session" which allows the
student to rapidly learning the essential features (diaries, variable ...) of using OCTAVE. Suggested
excercises are included in each section and OCTAVE sessions and programs are commented.
This booklet may be freely distributed for educational purposes.
An Introduction to Octave for High School and University Students
These were written to accompany an article "Vectorizing Your Way Around a Great Circle" in which it is shown that computations involving bearing and distance on a great circle route can be done via basic linear algebra, i.e. spherical geometry is not needed. Other quantities, such as the maximum lattitude on the route, are also calculated. The main programs are [great_circle.m] and [bearing.m]. The latter is called by the former, but can be used as a stand-alone application to find such things as the Qibbla (the direction of Mecca). Code for sub computations such as the conversion from deg-min-sec coordinates decimal degrees coordinates are also included.
The programs etc. are included in great_circle_calculations.zip which can be downloaded here.
I wrote this manual for students in modelling, linear algebra, probability etc. Various editions appeared between 1994 and 2004. I am putting it on the web in the hope that it will prove useful to others. It may be freely distributed for educational purposes.
This manual takes the approach, "If you want to do this, these are the commands". All commands are illustrated by examples and programs especially written for this text.
Detailed guides for some Linux software: managing files,
text editors, PDF viewing etc.
Shell files
which may prove helpful in connection with Do It Yourself Tex.
With Graphviz one describes nodes and the relationship---if there are any---between them (via "edges") and the software does the rest.
Note the binary system used to clearly identify each ancestor.
